Meditation: focusing on the Big Picture:#2

What’s in Front of You?

In the movie, “Dead Poet’s Society”, a teacher at a prestigious school for boys has taken his charges to a flat plaza like space where they are walking in procession. Of their own accord, they fall into step with each other and begin marching to a common rhythm. Left righ left. Around and around they go in a large circle, left right left. Finally, everyone is in step with everyone else, left right left, in military precision. The teacher, played by Robin Williams, has the boys stop and review: “Why did you all get in step with everyone else?”

They had no answer except that it seemed natural to get in step with each other. But in the movie, the boys weren’t going anywhere in particular. Instead, they were just going around in a circle. The question then becomes not only, “why did you get in step with everyone else”, but “where were you going?”

The book of Exodus describes how the Hebrews escaped slavery of Egypt and how they ran for the wilderness. Now that they were safe from the clutches of Pharaoh, they needed a new set of skills to live in this land. After instructions, the end of Exodus 40 gives specifics on when the camp was to move, where the people were to go.

Exodus 40
34Then the cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle. 35Moses was not able to enter the tent of meeting because the cloud settled upon it, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle. 36Whenever the cloud was taken up from the tabernacle, the Israelites would set out on each stage of their journey; 37but if the cloud was not taken up, then they did not set out until the day that it was taken up. 38For the cloud of the LORD was on the tabernacle by day, and fire was in the cloud by night, before the eyes of all the house of Israel at each stage of their journey.

As long as the pillar of flame or the pillar of cloud were in front of the people, they knew whether to go and where to go. If the pillar was still, the message is “don’t go on” If the pillar moved to a new location, the people were to decamp and follow. The people knew where to go by following what was in front of them. The story goes on to report how the people never lacked for food or water or direction during the whole 40 year saga.

If you’re feeling lost, it’s good to know what’s in front of you. Perhaps you don’t know the fire and cloud. If you’re not feeling lost, it’s good to acknowledge what’s in front of you and what you’re following. You might be following a dream or a destiny or a hope. Whatever you’re following, it will take you somewhere or nowhere.

What’s in front of you?