Without a Map

Venice is a hard place to navigate. Imagine trying to find your way through a city that is actually a series of 118 bodies of land. "Let's Go" describes Venice this way

The city is a veritable labyrinth and can confuse even its natives, most of whom simply set off in a general direction and then patiently weave their way. If you follow their example by ungluing your eyes from your map and going with the flow, you'll discover some of the unexpected surprises that make Venice spectacular.

We certainly found that to be true. It didn't take us long to fold up the map, put it in our pocket, and begin to wander. And in our wandering we experienced some truly Venetian moments. We stumbled across a piazza where boys were playing soccer and a group of children and adults had gathered around a puppeteer. We found some beautiful glass shops far from the maddening crowd, where we could look and touch and delight in the beauty of the objects without the other tourists hovering over our shoulders. In a place where tourists outnumber residents, we found ourselves on a quiet street where laundry was hanging from the windows and we could hear a bird chirping. There is freedom in exploring without a map. Of course, it helped knowing that we were on a small island and so could only get so lost. And it also always happened that just when we would begin to wonder if we were going the right direction, a sign would appear on one of the walls with an arrow pointing us toward the Rialto Bridge or Piazza San Marco. Real life happens without a map.

Today my colleague Marty officially announced his resignation as a pastor of Calvary. He has served the congregation for nine years and will be starting a full-time PhD. program. His leaving will be a time of collective grief, as well as a time of transition for the staff and the congregation. Meanwhile, I have an interview with a congregation in Chicago on the Monday after Thanksgiving. In these times of uncertainty and change a person could get anxious. Or we could simply fold up the map and wander, knowing we will never get too lost, trusting that the signs will appear to point us in the right direction. After all, real life happens without a map.

By the way, if you haven't checked the blog in a while, be sure to link back to the Italy Slideshow post for some pictures from the trip!