Blog 3671 – 11.23.2025

“Where Do We Go From Here?”

Today’s title is a question that I have heard more than a few times recently. Before we try to answer that question, I think it is very important that we consider an even more important question, “Who do you think you are?”

That is often a question uttered in contempt when the asker is implying that the asked has crossed some line of propriety and is assuming authority or position they are not entitled to assume or appropriate. The reverse of the question used in an also accusing way is another question, “Do you know who you are talking to?” Do we, do they, do you?

Author J.K. Rowling wrote seven novels, the last ones quite lengthy mainly about a boy named Harry Potter, “the boy who lived.” In the first one Harry’s friend Ron exclaims that their friend Hermione knows more about Harry than Harry does himself. Harry replies, “Everyone does.”

Our friends, family, even strangers, and those we mistakenly think are our enemies are mirrors reflecting back at us a more perfect reflection of who we truly are that we could ever discover otherwise.

Harry’s parents died when he was a small child and he is raised rather unkindly by his mother’s sister and her husband and with a boy cousin near his own age who all three treat him like the proverbial “red headed step-child.” That is a colloquialism that I grew up with that refers to an unloved and unwanted person who is at best ignored and neglected and at worst mistreated and abused. Harry’s lot for the first eleven years of his life is mostly the latter.

But on his eleventh birthday he receives a letter telling him that he has been excepted as a first year student at the Hogwarts Academy of Wizardry and Witchcraft. Unbeknownst to Harry he is a V.I.P. in the magical world with unbelievable adventures awaiting him. Are you waiting for your letter from Hogwarts?

The fictional worlds of Hogwarts, Narnia, Middle Earth, The Seven Kingdoms and those that so many excellent writers have created from their imaginations are no more magical and full of adventure than this time and space construct that we call reality.

I have beat about the bush long enough. There is in the Bible, a collection of books full of fantastic stories, in Exodus Chapter Three, a story about a burning bush. The novelty of this sight is not that the bush is on fire, but that the fire does not consume the bush. It just keeps burning and there is a voice that comes from the bush that explains to a guy named Moses where he is to go from there. The voice tells him, “I am the God of your fathers, go tell Pharaoh to let my people go.” Moses replies, “Who am I to go before Pharaoh?” Gods counters, “I will be with you.” Moses needs convincing. Gods teaches him a magic trick to convince Pharaoh that he is dealing with someone important. He tells Moses to throw down his staff and it transforms into a serpent and then He tells Moses to seize the serpent by the tail and it turns back into a staff. 

When Moses performs this trick before Pharaoh and turns his staff into a serpent, three of Pharaoh’s magic men throw theirs staffs down too and they also turn into serpents, yet Moses’ serpent devours the other three before he grabs it by the tail turning it back into a staff. Cool story, but the part of the burning bush story that most impresses me is God’s two word answer to Moses’ question, “Whom shall I tell Pharaoh is sending me?” God says, “Tell him ‘I Am” is sending you.” That is our first clear indication of Who God is and Who and Whose we are.

I believe that we are individually and collectively “God on an adventure in space a time.” And where we go from here is wherever we please for we are here to experience it all.

Bon voyage, Pilgrims!

Your friend and fellow traveler,

David James White

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Z0Ne1WH37sKNx6Hhpv1DOzLY8tevfZa4/view?usp=drivesdk

A Whole New World