Off the Beaten Track

The German novelist and poet, Theodor Fontane, advises us, "But all the best, as everywhere in life, lies beyond the main road."

There are several different ways of interpreting this... Perhaps he means that it's important to remain curious during our lives, so that we poke our heads down proverbial rabbit holes, simply to see what's there. Even if that means sometimes wasting time, as the road leads to nowhere in particular.

Yet, I do wonder whether it is even possible to "waste time" when we are following our curiosity. Over the years I have had huge amounts of fun doing just that. And sometimes, being curious has led me to marvellous new experiences I would not have had otherwise... One example was in September 2014, when I was sent an e-mail by the London Centre for Spiritual Direction, asking me for a reference for a new student, who was a fellow Unitarian. I was inquisitive enough to click on the link about the course, which led to a deep and wonderful three years training to become a spiritual director. 

Curiosity about new ideas, thoughts and experiences is a very Unitarian thing, or so I have found. Many of us came to Unitarianism because we heard or read something about it, and decided to find out more. And, once we are in, there are many opportunities for "going off-piste", so to speak, by following our curiosity wherever it leads on our spiritual journey. Which is not uniquely Unitarian, of course, but we see it as a virtue, rather than a hindrance. We tend to enjoy exploring little known byways.

In Matthew's Gospel, we read, "Enter through the narrow gate; for the road is wide and easy that leads to destruction, and there are many who take it." Which may, perhaps, have been interpreted to mean that the Christian has to follow the authorised path of faith laid down in the Bible, rather than being distracted by the world around them. The problem with that, for me, is that the Bible contains so much contradictory advice. I would rather use my own reason and conscience was my authority. They haven't led me "to destruction" so far, and I don't believe they ever will (or even could).

Or perhaps he is warning us not to become so fixated on our immediate goals that we are blind to all else that is moving in our lives. This is something I have had to learn the hard way. When I am focused on a task, my attention on it is laser-sharp. It often takes a nudge from a friend (or from my guardian angel) to lift my head up and look around me, to see what is going on "beyond the main road." Which may be just as important.

So yes, let us follow our noses and see where our curiosity may lead us...