Yesterday we ventured outside Montpellier to hike Pic St. Loup. We packed a lunch, successfully picked up our electric car and set "Pic St. Loup" in Waze, and headed north. We were feeling pretty good about ourselves, considering the other day we had been unable to rent city bikes and we still haven't figured out why. The roads got smaller until finally we made the final left and discovered it was a private road. Clearly, something had gone wrong. I had seen a sign for the Office du Tourisme 5 km back, so we backtracked to get a better map and ask where the trailhead parking was. Only the big, shiny building was a business center for the winegrowers in the region, not the Office du Tourisme, which apparently had recently closed. Hmmm. Now what?
The woman at reception was very helpful, and tried to give me the phone number of another Office du Tourisme, which I could then call and get the information. My French is pretty good, but that possibility was a little daunting. As we were saying goodbye, another woman walked by and the first woman told her what the issue was. The second woman said she could help us, and she did. She came out to our car and offered to give us her map if we would come to her home, a short walk. But we instead pulled up the map on my phone and she was able to show us the tiny village where we would find the trailhead, and told us how to get there. We thanked her and drove off, and fifteen minutes later found ourselves at the well-marked parking lot and trailhead.
And hiked. 3 km each way, rocky, steep at times, delicious-smelling trees and shrubs.
In today's Gospel reading, John 1:35-42, John is sitting with his disciples and Jesus walks by. John says "Look, there is the Lamb of God!" And John's disciples get up and follow Jesus. Jesus asks them what they want, and they reply "Teacher, where are you staying?" And they go spend the afternoon with him and then go and tell others they have found the Messiah, and they come as well. John pointed to the way, but was not the way. He could take his disciples only so far; they followed him, until they followed Jesus.
When we plugged in "Pic St. Loup" to Waze, we didn't have all the information we needed. So Waze did the best it could. It took us to the mountain, but not to the right part. When we went and asked for help, we got on the better track and were able to find what we were seeking. And of course there was a chapel at the top.
I guess what I'm saying is that even if you think you know where you're going, you might not end up where you hope you will. You might have to backtrack and ask for help.