Prisoners of Geography or losing track of ‘True North’
When I went on Amazon.com six or so weeks ago to buy my books for this semester, I did so mostly laser focused on the task at hand (finding the exact correct title for the lowest possible price). Because of this focus, I didn’t notice
The Center of the World & of World History?
much else on that visit to the world’s largest book store.
When I got to the page for Peter Frankopan’s fantastic, insightful and broad popular history The Silk Roads: A New History of the World my focus and attention was disrupted by the most sinister of enemies, the Amazon ‘you might also like’ algorithm. I am not sure how or why, exactly, but one of the books that that was recommended in the ‘customers who bought this item also bought’ section caught my attention, and I stopped what I was doing and followed the tangent for a while reading about a book by Tim Marshall called, Prisoners of Geography: Ten Maps That Explain Everything About the World. I resisted the urge to buy the book, but I did read enough to know that I would be interested in reading it, so I added it to my ‘wish list’, continued my book purchasing and hadn’t really thought about either book again, until I picked up Silk Roads this week.
In his book, Frankopan sets out to re-orient our understanding of the locus of our history and civilization, moving us from a focus on Rome (and Greece before it) and taking a cue from Rome itself and looking Eastward. It was a bit of deja vu for me as this is what my Church history professor in seminary, Scott Sunquist, sought to do as we used the textbook History of the World Christian Movement: Earliest Christianity to 1453, edited by Sunquist and Dale Irwin, and traced the development of Christianity as it moved and grew outside the sphere of Rome. [It was as if we spent an entire semester on Frankopan’s second chapter!]. It was a challenging, eye-opening and incredibly enriching experience and it was one that allowed me to ‘re-center’ the foundations of my faith much firmer and fuller historical ground.
Frankopan makes his case persuasively through story after story, illustrating the centrality of Asia in the history and development of culture past and present. There is much compelling history and storytelling in this book. However, what is resonating with me most deeply is the geography. Frankopan tells us in the introduction about the map on his wall as a child and how that map lead him to question why so much of it’s real estate seemed to be left out of our history.
He says:
When I read about Arab geographers whose works were accompanied by charts that seemed upside down and put the Caspian Sea at its centre(sp), I was transfixed – as I was when I found out about an important medieval Turkish map in Istanbul that had at its heart a city called Balasaghun, which I had never even heard of, which did not appear on any maps, and whose very location was uncertain until recently, and yet was once considered the centre(sp) of the world. (Frankopan, xiv)
The thought that keeps ringing in my heart and in my mind is what a profound difference it makes what you place at the center of the map. This is true, literally, of course (which is what Prisoners of Geography is all about), but it is also true metaphorically. What we place at the center of the map of our nation and our culture and our lives and our hearts matters. The different maps Frankopan looked at had different centers, not because some were correct and others incorrect – but because for different people, different places were the center of their world, both literally and figuratively.
This is one of the fairly unique aspects of Christianity, from a literal perspective, your map does not (necessarily) need to change. Their are places where important moments happened, but Christianity is not located in a place – you can go and visit these sights, but their aren’t Christian pilgrimages per se. This adaptability, I think, speaks to one of the reasons that Christianity was able to grow and allowed it to travel so well along the silk roads.
While you might say that Christianity is geography neutral from a literal sense, there can be no confusion about the place that Christ demands on the map of our hearts and lives: directly at the center. Another way of thinking and talking about this is that the geography changes, but true north is always true north.
This juxtaposition of geography and compass direction and the tension between the two as they are laid out and lived out in our lives was brought into stark relief for me when we heard from Rev. Michelle Boonzaaier in Cape Town speak about her experience of attending seminary with white South Africans and for the first time having to grapple with the dissonance of God being the God of both the oppressed and the oppressor. Or to put it another way, our God is present at the center of everyone’s map.
Because of this, though, we must be especially careful to focus on the direction of the compass (true north) and not the local geography. Knowing the lay of the land – memorizing landmarks, etc. – can help you navigate your neighborhood, but learning to read, follow and trust the unchanging compass of the Holy Spirit pointing us to the True north of Jesus Christ allows us to know our place and direction anywhere in the world, regardless of what is at the center of the map.
About the Author
Chip Stapleton
Follower of Jesus Christ. Husband to Traci. Dad to Charlie, Jack, Ian and Henry. Preacher of Sermons, eater of ice cream, supporter of Arsenal. I love to talk about what God is doing in the world & in and through us & create space and opportunity for others to use their gifts to serve God and God's people.8 responses to “Prisoners of Geography or losing track of ‘True North’”
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I want to start by saying that I believe that this is a solid example of what a DMINLGP Post should be. You give the reader some information about the book, but you also offer some new thoughts that the relate to the book. Well Done.
A related issue is how our maps make Africa look much smaller than it is. On most maps, Greenland (836,300 mi²) appears to be larger than Africa (11,730,000 mi²). In reality, you could fit 14 Greenlands inside of Africa!
I experienced this on a drive from Lusaka, Zambia to Livingstone, Zambia. On a full map of Africa, these towns look like they are next to one another, but the drive took over 7 hours.
This web page illustrates the way our maps minimize Africa.
http://www.cnn.com/2016/08/18/africa/real-size-of-africa/index.html
It makes me wonder about how this skewed impression of Africa affects that way we view Africa in other ways.
Wow, Stu. Thanks for the comment on the post.
Your point about the distortion of our maps is a critical one…. I was already going long, so I thought it best to not go there, but it is a crucial point…. these things actually effect our perception of reality in meaningful and powerful ways and we need to wrestle with that.
Thanks again
Shoot. Way to go, connecting this complex history into our theology and understanding of God, as well as nicely intersecting with our Advance.
This, I believe, is the gist of your blog:
“Our God is present at the center of everyone’s map.”
It resonates with the global nature of the gospel, much like Lamin Sanneh’s thesis in “Translating the Message,” that Christianity is incarnated into particular contexts because of its priority of being translated into local, common languages. Unlike Islam, which is only truly understood if the Quran is read in Arabic, and which has a central place, Christianity is adept at adapting local tongues. So the corollary to your statement: “Our God is present at the center of everyone’s map” is “Our God is known in everyone’s mother tongue.”
Great post, Chip, but you really made me focus when you said, “While you might say that Christianity is geography neutral from a literal sense, there can be no confusion about the place that Christ demands on the map of our hearts and lives: directly at the center. ‘
I’m glad we read a book that helped us shift our focus from such a western oriented perspective. But in reality you are the most correct!!!
Thoughtful post Chip. I found hope in your statement: “…but learning to read, follow and trust the unchanging compass of the Holy Spirit pointing us to the True north of Jesus Christ allows us to know our place and direction anywhere in the world, regardless of what is at the center of the map.” Yes! In recounting Biblical history or human history, I often find such sadness in the brutality of humans and the lack of love for God and each other. I guess I’m longing for heaven where all will be made new and the old washed away. No more tears, pain, or suffering. I don’t know how people live without God. He brings such hope and your post was a great reminder of this.
Well done Chip! “While you might say that Christianity is geography neutral from a literal sense, there can be no confusion about the place that Christ demands on the map of our hearts and lives: directly at the center.” What a great truth and connection to the reading. There’s a sermon in there too! Thanks Chip.
Wow Chip! So much insight in this post. I loved how you connected the maps to our lives. What is at the center or the core does matter. How we view and see in light of the center transforms the way we see the world around us.
The books Prisoners of Geography sounds interesting. I may have to look into it and read it!
“The thought that keeps ringing in my heart and in my mind is what a profound difference it makes what you place at the center of the map.”
I love that you tied this not only to our understanding of geography and history but to our understanding of God as well. Shifting the center of our universe from the Eurocentric model to one that recognizes the broader spectrum of Creation makes a difference in how we see God. Thanks for that reminder.
Now I have to put the books you mentioned on my wish list. ?