An Elder Pilgrim's Reflections

 Now faith is the assurance  of things hoped for,  the conviction of things not seen. Hebrews 11:1 No, I'm not still stuck on I-81 hoping to be on my way as soon as possible. A tow truck big enough to haul a tractor-trailer rushed past on the shoulder followed by a VDot pick-up. I had faith that somehow the road would be cleared or traffic detoured around the crash. Slowly, we came to an off ramp, were directed up it, across a main street and down a ramp onto I-81. We we on the road again. This, of course, is a shallow understanding of Hebrews 11:1.  For me, hope is in found in God's Word as I look at what is, could be, and should be as I head toward the "Highway of Holiness" to be among the righteous who walk on it. The author of Hebrews describes faith as assurance and conviction. Faith is trusting God. For example: By faith Abraham, was called to go somewhere to receive his inheritance. He obeyed and went, not knowing the destination. Faith is walking with ...

 A highway will be there, a roadway, And it will be called the Highway of Holiness. The unclean will not travel on it, But it will be for him who walks that way, And fools will not wander on it. Isaiah 35:8 It seemed like a good idea at the time. We hadn't seen our sister-in-law since she moved to South Carolina nearly 3 years ago. Using Google Maps, I indicated a starting point and a destination. The first set of directions were to use I-95 through Washington and Baltimore. NOPE. I checked the map further and decided that an I-81 route around major cities and through the countryside was the best choice. It turned out I-81 was not a good choice. I-81 is a major truck route for truckers who want to avoid Washington, Baltimore, and major cities. It also happens to be a major route for drug and human trafficking. So much so the FBI formed a task force to combat these issues. It is not by any means a "Highway of Holiness".  We came to a crash. Two trucks had sideswiped each o...

This is what the LORD says:  "Stand at the crossroads and look;  ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is, and walk in it,  and you will find rest for your souls." Jeremiah 6:16 Yogi Berra said, "When you come to a fork in the road, take it." The entrance to the summer camp I attended had a gravel road with a fork. The left fork led to the visitor parking lot. The right to the trucks' garage and then became an overgrown dirt logging road. One evening as I was riding my horse, a Cadillac appeared on the garage road just before it became the logging road. The driver stopped, rolled down the window and asked, "Is this US Route 7?" The people of ancient Judah were at a crossroad. They could turn toward God or they could continue down a path of self-destruction.   What do you do at a crossroads? Jeremiah says, ask for the ancient paths where the good way is. “Ancient,” means going back to creation and further. The ancient path is the good way. I...

  What did you think when you first heard that President Trump was infected with the coronavirus?  “What else did you expect? You were warned! What’s next, more chaos? What happens to our nation?” I think there is a lesson here beside the ones about wearing masks, washings hands, and social distancing. That lesson is found in Luke 13:1-9, the parable of the Fig Tree. Two events serve as the lesson’s background. First, while Galileans were sacrificing animals at Jerusalem, Pilate came suddenly upon them killing them, mingling their blood with the blood of the sacrificial animals. Second, eighteen people died when the tower in Siloam unexpectedly collapsed on them. It's in the setting of unexpected tragedy that Jesus tells the Parable of the Fig Tree.  Keep in mind that in Jesus day, tragedy was considered the result of sin.  Jesus suggests not equating tragedy with divine punishment. Sin does not make violence come. It just comes. So, since we all need to repent, take...