And yet, and yet…

Are you ever annoyed at your map app?

Yesterday as I was driving from somewhere out in the middle of nowhere to a restaurant in a different part of nowhere, I experienced that frustration of my mapping app being slow to respond. My literal thought: “Why won’t this stupid thing work?”

But then I had a pause with a laugh at that thought. How crazy is it that today I should be angry at a map that is triangulating my actual position on the actual planet with no other input of my own navigation? I can’t imagine Columbus throwing aside his astrolabe in anger because it didn’t immediately tell him where he was, nor Lewis and Clark shaking their heads at their guides deliberately finding the way forward.

And then, the other day, one of my kids asked me, “Is Africa in Europe?” I was aghast at the lack of geographic awareness, hypocrite that I am.

In our world, we have taken the mystery of exploration and thrust it into an inconvenience. We travel further than any of our ancestors, yet we know less about the people outside of our personal circle than ever before. We know more about the news of the world, but practically care less about those not near us than ever before.

The irony of our GPS era is that we feel more lost than ever.

With wars going on in Ukraine and Iran and Israel, with famine ravaging the Horn of Africa, with the chaos of the failed state in Haiti, we still gripe about a $5 cup of coffee and a 20 minute delay because of traffic. The more knowledge of the world that we gather at our fingertips, the more willful ignorance we install in our lives.

And for many, the building blocks of productivity and creation are at hand, and yet with all of our 3D printers, AI models, and global economies, the purpose of the individual’s life floats in the ether.

What would it look like for me to figure out where I am?

When I was college, I got to study abroad for a semester in Poland. The only catch was that I was going to travel alone and potentially be the only American at the university. So I traveled by plane, by train, and by car to my semester home. I had no idea where I really was, in a city that didn’t speak my language, and in a world far away from my family and friends (also without air conditioning…horrifying). It was a very lonely thought.

One of the professors that I met early on found out that I was a Christian and told me about a small group of Christians that met not too far away. So on one of my first few nights in another country, I made my way through the strange streets to a pretty non-descript apartment block, up to a door. I was pretty nervous, hoping I hadn’t made a mistake.

When the door opened, I found a group of about 20 people who were there together for Bible Study. Upon walking in, I was greeted by hugs and handshakes and the obligatory cup of coffee. These people who did not know me at all welcomed me like a member of their family. That night changed everything in my study abroad experience. It fueled the motivation to explore, experience, and embrace the risk.

Here’s the point: in this world, we very rarely have a good grip on where we really are. We cultivate connections around ourselves that we can control and ignore all the other things on the map that don’t concern us. But when the need for purpose hits, we find ourselves asking, “Where am I?”

I praise God that in my life he brought the church. I have found that whether I’m in Poland or Spain or Egypt or Canada or God’s favorite state, Texas, I’m home. As I explore and discover, I know that I don’t walk alone. And in the moments of my life where I’ve had doubts to my purpose, he has brought the faith family to bear me up alongside.

So take heart, friends. You may be in a place in life that’s off the map, that’s out of service. In those times, look up to the guidance of our Father and look to the side for fellow believers ready to travel with you.

And to quote the 1984 Adventures of Buckaroo Bonzai, “Wherever you go, there you are.” And let’s maybe adjust that, “Wherever you are, he’s there, and we’re here.”

Signs and wonders, y’all.

⁹ And the Lord said to Paul one night in a vision, “Do not be afraid, but go on speaking and do not be silent, ¹⁰ for I am with you, and no one will attack you to harm you, for I have many in this city who are my people.” ¹¹ And he stayed a year and six months, teaching the word of God among them. Acts 18:9-11