My story of the Inuit hunter is actually a story about my own spiritual journey.  Yes, I did some research and tried to create a true representation of Inuit culture, in northern Canada -- but I also think it holds tremendous meaning for individuals living here in Amsterdam in the 21st Century.  Perhaps different metaphors work better for different people, yet I feel like my own spiritual journey works a lot like a path marked out by inukshuks:  traveling through an unmarked spiritual landscape with just a vague sense of direction.  It really is a journey of faith towards an uncertain goal, and the only way that we're able to keep moving forward is through the guidance provided by the inukshuks in life -- those moments of spiritual clarity, scattered every so often, that remind us of our direction and goal.

We all have those moments in our lives, if we look hard enough.  Sometimes, they're referred to as moments of epiphany or revelation.  I’ve also heard them referred to as “spiritual mile markers.”  But for me, I like to think of them as “inukshuks.”  They don't come along very often on the generally flat, unmarked spiritual landscape of our lives.  But when we find one, we can immediately observe evidence of obvious design and purpose, comforting and reassuring reminders that we are not the only ones to have walked a particular path.  With these spiritual inukshuks, just like Inuit inukshuks, there is a great variety of design -- but their significance is unmistakable.  They're placed just every so often, barely enough to remind us that we are indeed on a designated trail.

And if we learn to look for the inukshuks that God has put in our lives, we can more effectively live with radical faith and trust in the directions that God takes us.

Everyone has big decisions that they have to make at some point or another in his or her life.  "Which university should I go to?" "Which job should I take?"  "When and how and to whom should I be married?" "What does the future hold for my life?"  These questions crop up whenever we find ourselves changing jobs, moving cities, or whatever.  They're all very difficult questions which don’t have very clear-cut answers.  But if we believe that God helps to guide us and protect us -- providing these spiritual inukshuks to mark out the right path to God’s will for our lives -- how do we really know what we’re looking for?  How do we figure these things out for ourselves and help to provide counsel for other people around us who are going through the process of making difficult decisions?

I strongly believe that the spiritual inukshuks are there, if only we'll look for them.  We just have to learn where to look and how to interpret them. Stay tuned for more ideas...