'Journey may not be smooth, but Jesus came to show us the way'

Many years ago I was map reading and my wife was about to drive around the notorious ‘magic roundabout’ in Swindon, comprising five mini roundabouts arranged in a circle around a sixth large central one.

I looked at the map and I could not see the exit for the road we needed.

I turned to my wife and said: “Whatever happens in Swindon, I want you to know that I love you.”

A huge argument ensued as we kept going round in circles with cars coming from every direction before finding the road we needed.

On the other side, we stopped and I simply said to my wife, ‘I told you that I love you’. It goes without saying I am not the map reader anymore.

A road map is there to get you to your destination.

You need to trust that the map is accurate and you also need to trust the map reader.

A map does not guarantee that the journey will be smooth or uncomplicated and there may be places where you have to take detours because of problems in the way ahead.

However, you should eventually get there, if you are faithful to it.

I am sure the government want us to trust in their road map out of lockdown, though there has been some perplexity shown to those holding the map.

When it comes to matters of faith, there are now more people trying to find a spiritual map to give them direction in these uncertain times, with one-in-four people accessing worship services in their search for direction and hope.

Christians believe that Jesus came to show us the way.

“I am the way the truth and life.” (John 14vs6).

He is a trusted navigator to lead us through life to its absolute fullness.

There are no guarantees that life’s journey will always be smooth, but what he does promise us is that he knows the best way, and that he will be with us always right until the final destination.

The Reverend Jonathan Haigh is the minister of Greenhill and Victoria Hall Methodist churches.