A Steve Orr Scripture Reflection

An Instance of the Fingerpost, that wonderful novel by Iain Pears, kicks off with a murder, and then … well, then the interesting stuff starts. 

They say the journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. And I say, without good directions it could be a much longer journey. Even with clear guidance, it’s still step by step. There’s much greater confidence, though, we will arrive at our intended destination.

But, murder mysteries rarely come with that kind of guidance. And this novel is more indirect than most. It is comprised of four different accounts of the "facts" as told by four different witnesses … or are they suspects? 

Unlike many mysteries where the "reveal" comes at the end, skipping to the end of this book doesn't help. There are clues, of course. But, they are scattered throughout the book. The only way to really understand what happened is to read each of the four accounts, trying to determine just how much we can trust each of their testimonies. Each has reason to be considered an unreliable source.

I've never read a book quite like it. I love how the author maintains the mystery right through to the end. It's one of those books I re-read every few years. 

But, an odd title, right? What, you may be wondering, is a fingerpost? 

Well, you might be surprised to learn you already know the answer. Really. Picture this: some travelers arrive at an intersection of roads. There, they find a post. On that post are narrow boards on which are printed the names of towns and other locations. Those boards may be pointed on one end, or they may actually resemble the fingers of a hand with three curled under and one pointing. In any case, these fingerposts are oriented so they actually point toward the location inscribed on them.

Fingerposts are very useful, especially if you’re attempting to navigate in an unfamiliar area. And, if they're so useful in the physical world, just think how something like that might help us on our spiritual journey. Well, I believe there are spiritual fingerposts, clear signs placed by God for us to follow. This week's scriptures are crammed full of them!

Do you want to know what God wants? Do you long for clear direction? Here are just two of the many "instances of the fingerpost" set into the Bible to help you.

In this week’s Mark passage we’re told, in so many words, cleanliness is not next to Godliness! No, there’s nothing wrong with hygiene. In fact, most of us think it’s pretty important. But, we can’t substitute physical cleansing for spiritual cleansing. Rather, we need to prioritize our focus on our thoughts as the source of any true uncleanliness in our lives. 

The James passage clarifies the path we need to take on our spiritual journey: "Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to care for orphans and widows in their distress."

Signposts are not general. If we choose to ignore them or choose a different direction, we will not arrive where we intended. They are unequivocal. They point us in a specific direction, the direction that takes us to our destination. 

And we get there one step at a time.