You are Here

You know those maps in malls that say "you are here"? What an invention- especially for guys, who for the most part detest spending any time in a mall! Tell me where I am- show me where the sporting goods store is and I can figure out to get there based on your map.


I wonder what might happen if we treated our spiritual journeys more like this kind of map. Often, I think, we approach spiritual journeys as something like school- it's one size fits all and the goal for everyone is graduation. We move at the same pace, learn the same things, and receive the same diploma. But what if we approached it more like a mall map, where's there different destinations? At the mall, some want the food court, others want Sears or Macy's, and others want to find the play park. With our spiritual lives, we might simply want to meet other people, or explore foundational questions about the faith, or focus on a topic like marriage or parenting, or perhaps something more experiential like serving or missions. I think we make it pretty tough when we assume everyone is starting at Point A and that everyone wants to get to Point B and do all the same things along the way. But if we look at things more like a mall map, there's flexibility, freedom of choice, and the ability to move around when considering our own spiritual journies.

Reggie McNeal used a different but very helpful analogy when he compares spiritual development to joining a gym. When you join a gym, you have a specific goal in mind. It might require a group or maybe just a trainer. You might want to lose some weight or run a 5k. But the goals are different and unique and a good gym is set up to help you with your goal.

How might that look in the church?