Show Me Where To Go

By Hayley McDonnell

Towards the end of the year I saw so many posts, messages and images reminding me of the fact that there are only so many days left until the end of the year. Nothing unusual there then. There is an overt message that all entrepreneurs or action takers need to make a plan, take action and implement the plan if they are to make the most of the first few months of the year.

I am not adverse to a plan; I advocate goals, structures and systems as a means to success as much as the next person, but this proliferation of reminders can be overwhelming, when what is needed is  some space and time to reflect on how we want to manage the next few weeks - never mind the next few months or even the next year.  

In my previous role as a teacher of RE/RS, I regularly found myself talking about, or referring to, scripture as part of the taught curriculum. One of the last topics I taught was the topic of scripture and interpretation, and we discussed how fundamentalists, conservatists, liberalists and literalists all have their own way of interpreting scripture. It was deduced that each group will have their own reaction and their behaviour will be different to each other. So much for one God! A greater sense of pluralism even within one faith seems more apparent. Irrespective of the faith, tradition or interpretation, one thing I believe is that there are remnants which remain true for us all. They all offer some meaning, some truth for the reader; they provide a path, a goal, an inspiration as well as support, guidance and advice when needed, and can provide solace in times of trouble.

I wonder, however, if we need scripture at all. Humanists, and to some extent atheists, rely on a moral code to ‘get them through life’. There are some correlations with Fundamental British Values (FBV) which are taught to all students in mainstream education. These FBV have been decided by some external agent and so have their similarities to an omnipotent being.

In the home we can find a sense of morality pervading most of the children’s stories read to children at bedtime. Within each of these stories there will be elements of spiritual, moral, social and cultural development (SMSC) and examples of how we all can engage with the themes personally.

I suggest that SMSC-like scripture can be likened to maps. Maps have symbols and icons, colours and patterns to represent real features of a landscape to help the user find their way. There are still problems, however, in using maps to get an accurate picture of what we want to see. The biggest challenge is that it is impossible to portray the reality of the spherical world on a flat map - a problem that has haunted cartographers for centuries. Scripture and its different interpretations are similar in this vein, and I refer to Plato and his analogy of the cave to remind us of the complexities of reality and human experience.

Consider this story of the cat and the goldfish in an attempt to extol the virtues of spending time in each other’s company. If we are to know and understand each other there will be barriers to full comprehension. Read it whilst you consider your own personal pathway in your own map in life:

A cat has spent his entire life watching one goldfish swim around and around his goldfish bowl. No one else joins the cat and no one else joins the fish. It is just the two of them. Sadly, one day the fish dies and the cat is asked to speak at the funeral, chosen because he is the one who knows everything about the fish. The cat, however, refuses and says that although he observed the fish and no other every day, he did not truly know or understand the fish. The fish had his own thoughts, ideas, beliefs, emotions and reactions to the day-to-day trials and tribulations of swimming around the goldfish bowl, the cat said, ‘no one will really understand the fish, only the fish in his short but swimmy life can do that…and even he will struggle’.

Wherever you are in life, find the time to get to know your own map or your own pathway so you know and remember that every day, every step and every decision is just another piece of your jigsaw - your life.

Spiritual - What do you want to know more about in your community? Is it local history? Is it a group of people? How will this knowledge help you in your life with your ambitions and goals?

Moral - What impact do your truths have on others? Do you think it has a positive impact? How do you know?

Social - What are your truths? What is important to you? How do you show this to other people in your community by what you say, wear or do?

Cultural - From those truths you have identified, what similarities do you see with others who you share the same street, community, town, school or workplace with?

Hayley McDonnell is a Personal Development/SMSC consultant and author intent on bridging the gap between countries, cultures, customs and ultimately people with “Global Collaboration” Her aim is to make our world feel smaller by connecting with our similarities and embracing our differences. She loves to travel and meet new people from different backgrounds, countries and cultures. You can find out more about Hayley here.