Last Sunday, the Observer newspaper published an article by an investigative journalist that seemed to cast considerable doubt on the veracity of Raynor Winn’s ‘unflinchingly honest’ account of how she and her husband Moth walked the 630 miles of the southwest coast path.
For those who don’t know, ‘The Salt Path’ became a bestseller and was subsequently made into a film and, whilst not universally admired, seemed to offer huge hope to many that, no matter what life sometimes throws at you, be that severe financial hardship leading to homelessness, or being given a terminal diagnosis, it can all nonetheless be overcome by one’s own positive endeavours – in this case, the going on a long walk.
Since last weekend’s revelations that the couples homelessness may have been the result of the author previously having been guilty of embezzlement, and the severity of her husbands illness might possibly have been overplayed, social media has been awash with those who, like myself, have felt the need to comment.
These range from those who are supportive of Winn; through those who, as with my own, hopefully light hearted response, have tried to inject a little humour into the situation; to those who have nothing but contempt for both the author and what she has written.
So at the risk of adding yet more noise to what is already a voluminous debate, I’d like to comment further, not on the accuracy or otherwise of what has been written in both the Observer and the ‘The Salt Path’ itself, but rather what has been written by those in response.
Because it seems to me that the two opposing groups may have rather more in common than immediately meets the eye.
On the one hand we have those who support Winn and who rightly point out that nobody is perfect. More questionable though is their view that it doesn’t really matter if what she has written is true if, as a result of her words, she has provided people with a little hope.
There are at least two problems with such an analysis. Firstly there is such a thing as justice and, whilst there is most certainly a place for forgiveness, there first needs to be evidence of sorrow for one’s wrongdoing, if that is, the importance of justice is to be both recognised and maintained. And secondly, hope based on a lie is a false hope – and a false hope is no hope at all.
Which brings me to those who on the other hand are vehemently opposed to Winn. Because if what I’ve read this week is anything to go by, what has really angered them is the fact that the hope that they thought they’d been offered appears to have been unfounded.
Both groups then want to believe that it is possible for an individual to redeem themself. Where they differ is that, whereas Winn’s supporters continue to believe that whilst dismissing evidence to the contrary as irrelevant, Winn’s opposers are troubled by the fact that what they wanted to believe was founded on a lie.
All of which leads me to something else I read on social media this week, in a post that suggested that we all have to go it alone – that not only is everybody else too busy thinking about themselves to spare a thought for you, neither is anyone ever going to come to your rescue.
But that deeply depressing place is where the philosophy of ‘The Salt Path’ will ultimate lead – which is, I believe, why the book is a lie, irrespective of how true it might actually be.
Because I believe that there is someone coming to save us, and that there are many who, irrespective of whether they recognise the fact, are made in his image and thus do care about others and are prepared to lend us a helping hand.
But of course, wanting to believe something positive no more makes it true, than not wanting to believe something negative, makes it false. Furthermore, I am not so naive as to be unaware that there will be those who consider what I believe to be true is less attested to than what’s been written in either ‘The Salt Road’ or last weekend’s Observer.
Even so, I believe there is a path that can only be started down through a narrow gate – one that leads where the one in whose footsteps I seek to follow has already gone. And where it leads to is a cross where not only is forgiveness found, but genuine hope for the future too – as a result of the resurrection three days later of the one who suffered and died there.
And the reason I believe all this is not just because it’s something I want to be true, but because it’s something that I consider I have good reason to believe – on account of the overwhelming evidence for the histories of the empty tomb, compelling eyewitness testimony of those who saw Jesus after he was raised from the dead, and the authoritative word of the one who spoke the universe into existence.
And thats why, irrespective of any merits it may or may not have, rather than following ‘The Salt Path’ I, by God’s amazing grace, hope to continue to follow instead the one who is not only the way and the truth, but also the one who surely leads me along the path to eternal life
‘Through many dangers,
Toils and snares,
I have already come;
‘Tis grace hath brought
Me safe thus far,
And grace will lead me home.’
Related posts;
To read “Hope comes from believing the promises of God”, click here
To read ‘The Resurrection – is it just rhubarb?’, click here
To read ‘Faith and Doubt’, click here
To read ‘Looking back to move confidently forward’, click here
To read ‘Deal – or no deal’, click here
To read ‘the quiet revival’, click here
To read ‘The Pinch of Salt Path’, click here
Some musings 