Perks and perils of our pilgrimage

Life is an amazing adventure filled with exciting perks and surprising thrills. Its mysteries are endless; its opportunities are limitless but the perils that lurk in its caverns can sometimes be also ruthless.

The trek in life often leads us to meandering pathways that cut across rolling hills of serenity or arid deserts of misery.

On dark rainy days our journey may prove risky or too slippery. Keeping our sense of balance is such an ordeal as we try to avoid stumbling and falling and getting soiled. On the other hand it teaches us to be cautious, to slow down and to focus in order to avoid dangerous pitfalls.

Oftentimes the beautiful sunny days which seem so fine and idyllic may trick many of us to be complacent and unwary. And as we let our guard down, we may be enticed by the spectacular sights that we end up dazed or numbed and trapped in the labyrinth of our own desires forgetting our purpose in life.

At times it takes a real blow for us to wake from our stupor and come to our senses. A loss, an illness, a heartbreak, a failure or a dreadful pandemic like what we are going through right now can make us sober and discerning.

That’s when we realise we are powerless, helpless and a total wreck when left to fend for ourselves. 

Stuck in the mire of vicious living many people struggle for freedom but find it difficult to get to solid ground. They need someone to reach out to them, the strong arm of God to pull them out of that abyss of moral darkness or they perish. 

Indeed our journey is long and tedious spiced with dead ends and detours, and full of crossroads that lead to different destinations. But we must be thankful for the guideposts along the way, and for the warning signs lest we go astray. And most of all we thank God, our unerring compass always pointing to our ultimate destination.