The romance of journeys

The romance of journeys

John 14:6-14. I am the way and the truth and the life

Stories about the hero’s journey or typical shounen anime heroes are somewhat formulaic: the hero discovers his talent, he is called by the unknown and is reluctant, the hero takes a leap of faith, he fails and rises up again by transforming, succeeds, and returns home.

In a sense, the knowing the destination seems boring. Csikszentmihalyi’s flow theory suggests that for a person to be optimally engaged, a challenge must be somewhere near the person’s skill level. Too easy, the person is bored; too hard, the person is anxious. Therefore, what makes journeys romantic is less about the destination but more about the challenges and suffering one chooses to overcome.

Being top 1 in a game through hacking only gives a momentary thrill; learning the game and developing skills to reach top 1 provides immense pride.

Thus, knowing that Jesus is the Way and believing in Him is the smallest fraction of an active faith. It is our agency to find our own framework and niche in doing the work that makes our virtuous journey more exciting and compelling.

[DAILY GOSPEL INSIGHTS AND REFLECTION FOR MANAGEMENT AND ORGANIZATION 123: MAY 3, 2022]