Thursday Musing - Those Who Wander are not Lost

Fans of J.R.R. Tolkien will recognize a paraphrasing of the Riddle of Strider from the Lord of the Rings trilogy, used by Frodo to help identify the real Strider when they eventually met. It’s now become a phrase used by many hikers to signify the act of hiking in the wilderness and discovering the beauty of nature.

The Bible is not fond of wanderers. Verse after verse speaks to wanders as having lost their way from God and warns against it as most times the wanderers can’t find their way back (the Prodigal Son being an exception). Yet Ignatius is a classic wanderer, somewhat directionless as a youth, after his injury during the battle of Pamplona, he sets out on the pilgrimage we are tracing, effectively wandering his way to Jerusalem, learning, course correcting but always getting closer to serving Christ. As we meander on both our physical and spiritual journey during this pilgrimage, we are also wanderers. And this trip is likely not the end of our journey to see how we can get closer to God, but we are not lost, just seeking what God will reveal to us.

Peace

Fred

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