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Just Where Am I?

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Published by the noted Dutch cartographer, Jodocus Hondius (1563-1611), this double hemisphere world map records Sir Francis Drake's (ca. 1540-1596) circumnavigation of the globe, between 1577 and 1580. Credit: Library of Congress.

I reflected recently on how technology has changed map making.  In ancient times map makers had to face innumerable dangers, disease and shipwreck, in their efforts to make an accurate survey of a coastline.  And mapping the interior of a country involved battling deserts, mountains and impassable rivers.

Even after the field data was collected, accurately defining the latitude, longitude and height above sea level was difficult. Small errors in the huge number of necessary hand calculations often led to inconsistent results.

Today, map makers sit in comfortable offices processing data from satellites which send a continuous stream of images.  These reveal details smaller than my house.  The position of any place on Earth can be found absolutely and within a few meters using a satellite system called a global positioning system (GPS).  This system uses radar to look through thick clouds at the ground below and provide us with detailed images.  This information can be cross-referenced by identifying common features on adjoining and overlapping pictures.  Computer processing does huge calculations quickly, giving an accurate map of any place on Earth.

So next time you’re lost, be thankful that nobody was ship wrecked while producing the map that shows just where you are.

MOVING BEYOND MATTER
 by Debbie Hughes

In determining our location, we use reference points outside of ourselves.  We might say, I am at the corner of Main and 23^rd Street.  Or my house is behind the park.  Or my town is 16 kilometers south of a certain  major city.  We locate one thing according to its relative position to another.  

Just as there is spacial location  there is also historical location.  We can mark the phases in the course of human history by different epochs.  Some of these occur abruptly, others evolve gradually.  

Now, a valuable exercise is to map your own personal history.  Using a piece of paper, mark out 5 year increments.  Then think about different categories in life - personal, social/community, school, work, family, spiritual.  Look at the times of transition and development, the crisis points which moved you further in one direction or changed your path entirely.  Consider your goals during these periods and the experiences that nudged or maybe even pushed you into a new stage.  Plot these ups and downs and turning points on your paper graph.  Do you see any  patterns in your experience?   Try looking towards the future and anticipate the likely unfolding of your path.

When we look at a map of our spiritual life, we will recognize that at some point we became aware of our location in reference to some point.  This other may have been God or perhaps nature, or perhaps something more conceptual such as truth or a standard.

But a spiritual map is only as good as the truth upon which it is based.  It needs to correspond to reality, to the way things really are.  Otherwise, we will be sailing through life with our eyes fixed upon the compass while grasping onto an erroneous map for guidance.  Our efforts will be marked by sincere desire, perhaps even skill.  But our route will not lead us to the anticipated goal.  We will be off-course.  Check out the spiritual map by which you’re charting your course.  Does your spiritual map accurately reflect reality?  What’s your own global spiritual positioning?