Road trip

Don't ask why we didn't choose to fly from Memphis, TN, to Allentown, PA. There were several reasons -- most of which I can't remember now! At any rate, we're driving, and that means about 17 hours of quality time behind the windshield each way. Actually, I enjoy road trips, especially this time of year. And we're going through some of the most scenic areas of the country on this one. So, presuming the weather cooperates most of the way, it's fun.

I can't help thinking that a couple hundred years ago, the path we're following was still wilderness in large part. My own ancestors came in the late 1700s from the Carolinas into eastern Tennessee, and from there they migrated further west to Missouri and Texas. It's amazing, when you think about it. Without automobiles, or trains, or any other modern conveyance or convenience, the early settlers braved the elements and carved out a life on the frontier. For us, a tough road trip lasts a day or two. That was barely a good start for them.

A number of years ago I met a woman who told me she had lived on the same farm all her life, had been born in the house her father was born in, had never been outside her rural county. It's hard to conceive of that kind of life today. but I'm sure there are still those who stay home always. The great majority of folks in our society, though, are on the go. It's fascinating to me to reflect on the fact that many of the biblical figures were also people on the move. Abraham and Sarah, Moses, the people of the Exodus and the Exile, even Jesus and the disciples. We sometimes think of the life of faith as a spiritual journey, and with good reason. For those who seek to follow Christ, it is a journey with purpose, so that the daily experience of faith has meaning in itself. And it is a journey with a destination, and that gives the road trip an eternal significance.