Your Life Is A Journey
Let A Deep Consciousness Of God Shape How You Tell It
by Eric Elkin
“Your life is a journey you must travel with a deep consciousness of God.”
Every age in human history had a unique way of telling the story of its journey. Prehistoric people drew pictures on cave walls. This progressed to stories told around a campfire. Then people wrote sagas about their epic voyages. As time progressed and human wisdom developed, so did the mode of sharing.
The evolution of the printing press granted greater access to the stories of our journey. Printed stories expanded literacy, and the reach of the ancient tales told around a campfire. Once published, these poems and novels were translated into different languages and shipped out across the globe.
Social media is the just next step in the process of storytelling. In the modern age, though, the speed has transformed the shape of the content. The flow of digital information limits our brain’s ability to process. To compensate, we share our stories through brief comments, pictures, and memes to express our opinions.
The story of my journey is most often told on Facebook. Through this platform, I can remain actively connected to so many people. The lives of my “friends” are woven into my story. They stretch across time zones, years, and radically different contexts. Each picture or comment I post adds another stage in my journey.
I love it when Facebook reminds me of an old post. It provides me a moment to pause and reflect on the past. More importantly, it lets me know my life is a journey. A long, beautiful, painful, glorious and sometimes sad journey.
“The truth is, of course, that what one regards as interruptions are precisely one’s life.”
Social media also has a dark side, all forms of storytelling do. Viking sagas glorified the plundering of foreign people. Even the Bible is filled with tales of violence and death. Perhaps the only difference is the speed at which this negativity can spread in the modern age.
When I speak to a group of people in person, I tend to know my audience. I can read their faces and body language as I talk. These factors shape how I speak to them. On Facebook, none of this is visible. At the same time, the context of the speaker is also skewed. A simple statement said in jest can produce a litany of angry responses.
As much as I love sharing my story on Facebook, I have to limit my time on it. It can quickly drain my soul. There is so much freedom to attack and mock each other without repercussions. We criticize the media for false reporting and pitting people against each other. Yet, in our own freedom, we do the same thing.
As fear, frustration, and anxiety build during this pandemic war, I invite you to reflect upon this one line from 1 Peter. “Your life is a journey you must travel with a deep consciousness of God.” Something is centering and calm about how Eugene Peterson translated these words. Our journey is long, so let your “deep consciousness of God” guide your way through it.
What does a deep consciousness of God look like? It means your neighbor, even your enemy, is formed in the image of God. You would do well to remember that when you speak to them. Even if you do that through a meme. Each one of us is trying to figure out the destination of our journey. We are all trying to get to that place as healthy and happy as possible. It would also be helpful to remember we are not alone in the journey.
The most helpful advice given by the author of 1 Peter, “Love each other as if your life depended upon it.” Perhaps we should remember that as we tell our stories on social media.
Click to read 1 Peter 1: 17-23
Reflection Questions:
How do you share the story of your journey?
Have you ever been attacked or attacked someone in telling it?
What ways can you develop to share information in a healthy way?
Where are you headed in your journey?
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