The Promised Land

A Mr. Lloyd Porritt once gave me advice. He stood looking at a painting of Jerusalem and whispered, "Life is about the Exodus." I was a green missionary in my first area and had no idea what he meant. But it sounded literary, so I took note in case a sage comment should be needed from me later on.

Oddly, not until last Sunday as I browsed an article on the Israeli/Hamas conflict did it come to mind. I have no idea what that says about my subconscious, but at this point I have a way of approaching Lloyd's counsel.

For etymology enthusiasts, "exodus" is originally a Greek word meaning "a going out," literally ex- "out" + hodos "way." I suppose one of the most pressing issues when undergoing exodus is identifying which way one is departing from. Tradition? Habit? Common sense? But most important is the reason causing departure.

I went out of the way of logical and financial sense last weekend. The plane facilitating my little exodus landed in New York City Friday morning, and for the next four days I walked about exploring grad schools, getting a feel for neighborhoods, doing a little sight seeing, even busing up to Boston. Before the trip, the idea of going seemed superfluous, but a gut feeling said "Go." So I came. I saw. I conquered, but not in the way expected. Academically, the trip showed me what I shouldn't do and where I shouldn't go, and the only gut feeling now left is to be patient. I'm not terribly patient.

It was at about this point in their exodus, the middle of the desert, that the children of Israel decided to take matters into their own hands, i.e. making golden calves and trying to sack Moses. Not bright decisions. Especially considering their limited mineral resources and reliance on Moses to hit rocks and create springs of water. I have the feeling that in my present circumstances, making drastic decisions on my own would make about as much sense. So I'll keep trying new ideas and waiting for the next glint of approval off Sinai.
Come to think of it, Moses never entered the Promised Land. Permanent exodus. He must have discovered the secret for getting out of the desert and into the sun.