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HEADING DOWN THE RIGHT PATH
But the path of the righteous is like the light of dawn, which shines brighter and brighter until full day.
The way of the wicked is like deep darkness; they do not know what they stumble over.
My child, be attentive to my words; incline your ear to my sayings.
Proverbs 4:18-20
Pictured in the background is a scene from Camp Asbury’s
2008 ten-day Algonquin Canoe Trip to Algonquin Provincial Park in Eastern Ontario, Canada.
Finding Inner Direction
The summer time is great to take some time away from usual routines and be re-created in God’s great outdoors. Whether it is attending one of our great East Ohio United Methodist camps or simply spending time with the family, this is the season to reflect on the direction of our lives. With the downturn in the economy and many people out of work, perhaps finding direction is more important than ever. Are you following the right path?
On one of my early trips into the Boundary Waters Canoe Area of northeastern Minnesota, I took the wrong path and became lost in the wilderness. I knew that losing my way could have serious consequences because the area is restricted. Only those who are trained in survival skills and have permits are allowed to enter this beautiful land of lakes bordering Canada. Perhaps I would not have become so lost if I had not been so sure I was on the right path to begin with. (Tell me this is not just what men do!) Even though I had only canoed that area once before I just continued to get more off course, thinking I knew where I was going. By the time I realized I didn’t know where I was, I could not even find where I was on the map.
What made the situation worse was that I was navigating with a compass and map. Simply put, you have to know where you are before you can navigate to where you want to go. (One of the advantages of modern GPS devices is that they pinpoint your location so you can determine your path from that specific place.)
The only solution was to backtrack as long as it took until I could recognize my position on the map again and navigate from that point. No one likes to go backward on a journey, but if that is what it takes, there is little choice. So, I backtracked. Paddling in the opposite directon for nearly an hour I finally recognized something familiar, something safe where I felt confident that I knew my location. Then I headed down the right path hoping I could find a camp site before darkness set in.
Every day in the news we hear how people make bad choices in life that do irreparable damage to themselves and others. After the shock of the news, I always wonder how they began down the wrong path. I want to know where they went wrong. Why didn’t they have some inner direction that made them aware they were lost? Why didn’t they backtrack to a familiar place where they could remember where they were supposed to be and start over again?
United Methodists have a long-time commitment to help people follow the right path. We want to share the love of God with children and have adults who are disciples of Jesus Christ transforming the world. Living in a community of faith keeps us on the right path and keeps us from being lost. In a way, the church becomes our GPS system. It helps us to identify where we are, so we can figure out where we are headed. It also is there when we feel lost, a place full of comfort and familiarity – like that recognizable place on the map – where United Methodists can backtrack to and start all over again.
Public worship of God, the Lord’s Supper, private and family prayer, searching the scriptures, Bible study, and fasting are our survival skills! The church is our training ground, and the world is our wilderness. Following the right path isn’t always easy to do, but with the right tools and the church for guidance, it becomes much easier to stay on course.
By John L. Hopkins is the resident bishop
for the East Ohio Conference of The United Methodist Church.
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