I have sat in the same spot at church for a very long time. In particular, I like the view out a certain window where I have observed a group of trees on the eastern horizon grow year after a year. These trees have become dear old friends to me.
Recently, I have been pondering a line from John Paul Lederach’s book called The Moral Imagination: The Art and Soul of Building Peace (Oxford University Press, 2005) where he talked about “working at the edges of our known cartography.” It is such a powerful and beautiful phrase. I am captivated by the concept. Clearly, we are experiencing that right now with COVID 19.
One late fall day many years ago, I was walking home from church with our two, elementary-aged sons when the youngest stopped, looked east, and asked the question, “What’s it like past there?” He was pointing east where we had a clear view of the far horizon.
I could have given an in-depth explanation, describing all of the details but instead, I replied: “I don’t know. Let’s go find out.”
After lunch, we bundled up in hats, coats, mittens and scarfs. We got on mud boots and walked through our back field to the fence on the eastern edge of our land. I checked the next field and there were no sheep in the near pasture so we climbed the fence and kept walking east.
Soon, we climbed another fence and headed to the northeast. We walked through a corn field and very near my dear old friends the trees that I have watched through the window at church for so many years. It was slow going but hand in hand we walked to the edge of the far field until we came to another fence.
Standing at the edges of our known cartography, we looked east and together we discovered a pond, a couple of houses, another group of trees and many more corn fields. I didn’t say anything and neither did my youngest son. We just stood in silence together.
Finally, he said, “Huh. So that’s what it looks like. It just keeps going on.”
“Yup,” I responded, “It just keeps going on.”
And, when he was ready, we turned around, and walked home. What was unknown was now known. What was pondered was now seen. What was a question was now an answer.
Given all that is happening in our society at this time period, we mostly walk in the same places at the same times. We rarely go to the edges of our known cartography. And when we do, we feel anxious, worried or alarmed. Rarely, do we just stand in silent reflection, take in the landscape and think “So that’s what it looks like. It just keeps going on.”
It takes courage, an open heart and deep faith to walk to the edges of our known cartography, and realize that it just keeps going on. And like the explorers and map makers before us, we must keep exploring the edges of our known cartography and learning more about the unknown cartography all around us.
For in this unknown land, there are people just like us. They are trying to do their best in spite of their challenges. They are working hard, raising families, and asking big questions. Some days, they even walk to the horizon, see us, and think, ““Huh. So that’s what it looks like. It just keeps going on.”
This week, I encourage you to ask the question, “What’s it like past there?”, and then with great curiosity, go and find out. You may be delightfully surprised by what you discover.
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