“Show me your ways, Lord, teach me your paths.” Psalm 25:4

 

I stared intently at what looked like strands of multi-colored spaghetti thrown on the wall, which were somehow supposed to help me find my way through the labyrinth of Tokyo. I felt utterly lost and confused, and those feelings only intensified as I continued to vainly scrutinize the “helpful” map of Tokyo’s train lines.

Welcome to the world’s most extensive rail network, consisting of 158 separate lines, fed by 2,210 stations, running along 2,930 miles of operational track and servicing roughly 40 million passengers per day. And these figures don’t include Japan’s famous bullet trains that rapidly crisscross the Greater Tokyo area. Over 3.6 million people pass daily through Shinjuku Station, which makes it easily the busiest train station in the world, consisting of 36 platforms with over 200 exits to accommodate the masses of people. The Yamanote Line, which makes a giant loop through the urban sprawl of Tokyo, is one of the most important lines. It connects most of Tokyo’s major stations, operating roughly 20 hours every day with train intervals as short as two minutes during peak usage. Particularly exhausted travelers on the Yamanote frequently fall asleep during their commute, but they can easily disembark and head back in the opposite direction if they miss their stop.

This maze of train lines is also supported by an additional network of buses, trams and monorails, adding thousands of more miles to an already incredibly complicated transportation system. What makes it even more impressive is that it all actually works! Trains flawlessly run on time. Public and private train lines somehow seamlessly cooperate. Equipment operates efficiently with minimal breakdowns. Passengers move from one point to another with few complaints.

To facilitate this daily mass movement of people, most passengers use different variations of what is called an “IC card,” which stands for “integrated circuit.” These are prepaid cards that are simply scanned when passing through the turnstiles on one’s journey. Gone are the days when passengers had to rely on printed train schedules using microscopic print to guide them to their destination. They have been replaced (thankfully) by convenient cell phone apps that remove most of the panic for novices as they bravely venture into the Byzantine network of Tokyo’s rail lines as I experienced many years ago.

Even though it can be intimidating to grasp and utilize the complexities of Tokyo’s transportation system, this difficulty pales in comparison to the greater challenge of navigating through life. How do I determine the best response when presented with many options? What will be the most helpful recourse to take for myself and others affected by my decision? When should I make a commitment to a plan of action even though many elements continue to elude my complete grasp of possible outcomes?

Unlike the map of Tokyo’s train lines, the answer to this question is surprisingly simple: turn to God for guidance. It is almost embarrassing how little we actually do that when confronted by the complexities of life. Far superior to the most sophisticated transportation apps, God asks that we turn to Him throughout the day, and seek His counsel as we travel through life. He delights in showing His ways and revealing the paths that will bring blessing for both us and others. All aboard!