On Sunday, I’m addressing the topic of Evil in the Route 66 series.
The desert in Northern Arizona is known as the Painted Desert. Layers of rock stratum beautifully redeem the barren region in swaths of colors. Travelers on Route 66, the Mother Road, look forward to this place as they trek. The famous petrified forrest is another highlight on the trail. The photos look amazing.
Have you ever been to this region of the American West? I haven’t, but I hope to soon.
This bad land spells trouble if you aren’t prepared, yet the harsh area should not come as a surprise. The parallel I draw, in a spiritual sense, is that Evil usually surprises us with its force or sway. Rather than expect it, and live a life that encounters it for the opportunity to redeem it in practical ways, we are often stunned, and then react unproductively by blaming or retorting with dangerous and haphazard all-or-nothing solutions. Sudden kinetic military actions, or ratifying knee-jerk (and effectively impotent) new rules, are two examples that come to mind. Plenty of community and individual reactions apply as well.
What are some others that come to mind?
What “Bad Lands” have you painted? (Where have you encountered redemption during times of suffering or through trails?)
Work with God to paint your desert!