Do I look tired to you? Maybe my eyes are a bit droopy, shoulders slumped, movements slow? I do have an excuse today. I’ve returned from a long trip. I had the privilege of traveling to Italy and Greece. I have some dust on my shoes from the ruins of Athens, some stains on my shirt from pizza in Naples, and some sand between my toes from the Greek island of Myconos. Maybe I should be napping instead of making this program!
I’m Larry Payne and this is TFJ, a program dedicated to your well-being. I use my decades of experience as a pastor, chaplain, and professional counselor to share proven insights of theology and psychology. Thanks for joining the adventure today.
As you might guess, I find joy in travel. Travel starts with a big question: Where am I going? I like to have a destination and not just wander aimlessly. We can also expand the question to our life experience. Where am I going in this journey of life? More importantly, where are you going? We can’t change the fact that our life is moving on from the here and now. I think it’s vital for us to consider what this journey can mean for us. What can be found for our well-being by exploring the worlds outside of us and within us. In this episode let’s explore developing our self-understanding through journeys both over there and right here.
Humans have always been on the move it seems. Science tells us our ancient ancestors left Africa 100,000 years ago to colonize the planet. Cave paintings in Europe and Indonesia date back 35,000 years to show people like us were scattered everywhere. The Bible tells us the patriarch Abram left Ur to enter modern Israel around 4000 years ago. My maternal 6th great grandfather, Walter Allen, left England in 1638 to land on our American shores. “Where are you going?” has been asked by billions across the millennia. There’s something innate in homo sapiens that wants to explore, to learn, and to prosper.
What places have shaped your identity? For me, the move my family made from one Missouri town to another brought me to a school, a church, and a woman that changed me forever. Maybe you have something like that too. Or maybe it was a new experience you didn’t see coming. Adrianne was at the airport baggage claim after a long overseas flight. She was struggling by herself with three preschoolers, a carseat, a stroller, three diaper bags, four suitcases, and not enough sleep. A couple behind her offered to help. She declined until they said, “If you can tell me how you are going to do this, we’ll leave you alone. But until you tell me, I’m going to help you.” Their generosity changed the disaster and Adrianne’s outlook on what it meant to be a mom who can help others in this world. Psychological research tells us not to be surprised about that type of change. New experiences like travel create new pathways in our brain and stimulate dopamine, one of the happiness chemicals. Having novel experiences makes us happier for hours.
Faith traditions hold great regard for the holy journey, the pilgrimage. Christians enact the Stations of the Cross through Jerusalem to remember the walk of Jesus. For more than a thousand years believers have hiked across the Spanish countryside on the Camino de Santiago to seek a deeper connection to God. Muslims are urged to make a journey to Mecca at least once in life. Hindus travel to the Ganges River for cleansing of sin and renewal of faith. On a more personal level it is common to see families gather at the grave of a loved one to lay a flower, enacting a sacred journey of remembrance and gratitude. The places of transcendence touch us deep in our own consciousness.
My wife and I were inspired on our recent trip as we walked the ruins of Ephesus, a magnificent city of the Roman Empire in the first century. The Apostle Paul presented to those people a new way of the divine, opposing the centuries long devotion to Artemis. The walls of the shops where he talked and the great theater where he was arrested still stand. His vision and courage come across the centuries as inspiration for dealing with the challenges of today.
If we pay attention, though, we can find it’s not necessary to travel across the globe to find life enhancing moments. Christian Process theology teaches that God pervades every entity and every experience, becoming the “light for all people,” according to John’s Gospel. Philosopher David Ray Griffin says that God provides influence on every moment, providing an ideal possibility for the occasion, cooperating with each creature to determine the outcome [146-7]. In this theology we discover a window to perceive God in all places and things. As the mystics of all the ages have known, we can find the holy in the face of our neighbor, the petals of a rose, the fathomless power of a galactic black hole, or the caress of a loving hug. The 14th century prophetess, Julian of Norwich, wrote, "The fullness of joy is to behold God in everything." We can be inspired to greater well-being in the here and now.
[I’m discussing the transformation possible when we explore our Self and our world.]
“Where am I going?” That’s a vital question for each of us. I suggest starting with the exploration of your own Self. Go deeper into your own values, hopes, fears, and powers. Open some secrets to who you are by using a personality test, a self-discovery tool like the Enneagram, or guided meditation. Talking with a counselor or spiritual leader who will ask the hard questions is a productive path. You may find the greatest barrier to growth is not in the world but in your own mind, where fears push us back inside the walls of our defenses. The work of knowing yourself will be the work of bringing out the authentic Self who can put on the hiking boots and leave the safe house for new discoveries.
Another important stop on the trek is connecting to others. We are wired to be in relationships. Sophia, the divine feminine of the Book of Proverbs shared the wisdom, “Iron sharpens iron and one person sharpens the wits of another.” We learn from day one how to do life from our family. Each time we interact with another we learn more about ourselves as well as the other person. Honestly, most of us don’t know what we’re thinking until we start talking. The journey is best if we walk in solidarity through the valleys and on the mountaintops.
On our trip we met Phaedra, a woman who has travelled with her mother to places renowned for healing. Years ago she was told her condition meant she would never walk again. She began a quest that has taken her across the world to pray for healing. She was now walking with crutches and praying that her visit to another sacred site would bring total recovery. Many were supporting her and we found ourselves caught in the hope that burned brightly in her.
I use an activity in my counseling called a Lifemap. It’s simple. Take a paper and think about the moments of your past that have shaped you. Maybe it was marriage, or moving, or even an injury. Mark each one, good or not, as places on a map or marks on a timeline. Use some artwork to doodle each one, taking this extra time to consider the impact that experience had on you. Creating this map of your life can open insights about who you are and possibilities for what can yet happen in growth and well-being.
As you draw, you may discover an amazing truth: God’s surprising presence. The divine shows up the dark places, in the fog of confusion, and the bursts of bright revelation. Each of us are pilgrims are like the patriarch Jacob who, after his dream of angels and ladders, said, “Surely the Lord is in this place—and I did not know it! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven.” Just maybe we can reframe our question, “Where am I going?” to ask instead, “Who is with me on this journey?” God is there, inviting you to embrace a transformative moment.
“Where are you going? It’s a question that turns our minds to the possibilities all around us. The future is there in all its promises, a gift from God. I hope you’ll give some thought to where you’ve been and all that you can become. The discovery there is worth the price of the journey, I believe.
CITED
Gabriella Paiella. “The Brain-Changing Magic of New Experiences.” https://www.gq.com/story/brain-changing-magic-new-experiences
Laura Kwerel, “A mother of 3 was struggling at the airport. Then the 'mom tribe' swung into action.” https://www.npr.org/2023/08/16/1193783789/flying-with-kids-plane-travel-mom-helps
David Ray Griffin, Reenchantment without Supernaturalism: A process philosophy of religion. Cornell University, 2001.
Proverbs 27:9 NRSVUE
Information on Julian of Norwich see https://julianofnorwich.org/
Genesis 28:16-17 NRSVUE