Wandering, Not Lost

A spiritual journey may take many forms, from Dante’s descent to the pits of Hell and up the other side to the bliss of Paradise, to Pilgrim’s progress (or even to Billy Pilgrim, unstuck in time in Vonnegut’s Slaughterhouse-Five). It could be Elijah running headlong into the desert, or Jonah being flung ashore and shouting in Nineveh, a petulant prophet to the end. Faith can be carried like pennies in the pocket or worn like a coat of many colors. Abraham and Moses, Mary and Peter—all of them carried their faith, and all of them had their doubts. Doubt is the companion of faith, and the mystery that bonds them together comes out in stories.