If you want to travel to the great city in the south, there are several ways to get there. One is on the main highway which is straight and moderately well maintained. The other is on back roads which, though quieter, pose some risks. On the back roads there are fewer services.

The main road has been in place a long time. Some people don’t even know that you can get to the great city by any other route. If they knew they probably still would not choose a back way because, comparatively speaking, it’s inconvenient. The road is smaller, more challenging to follow, and it takes longer to reach your destination.

We could be speaking of a trip to Seattle of course. But also of a spiritual trip undertaken in faith. And in taking the main road what experiences might be missed? What opportunities left unexplored?  What awareness remain unexpanded?

Abram and Sarai left the known landscape of Mesopotamia. They travelled toward something neither of them could yet name. They followed a compelling voice that invited their spirits to follow. The name they gave the voice was El. Our name for El is God.

Their journey was not straightforward. They went where there was pasture for their flocks. Their path of immigration was moderated by weather and the welcome they received along the way. They eventually entered Canaan, but departed to Egypt, and later returned.

The road taken by Sarai and Abram is cast more as a particular path of faithfulness than a moment in human migration. The land of Canaan was their destiny, more than their destination. Canaan was a matter of believing a promise coming to fruition for them and their descendants.

This is a story about God’s provision and human trust. This couple is not commended to us as a by-your-own-bootstraps success story. It is their curiosity and openness to new experience that presents as their greatest asset.

Abram and Sarai come to trust that El is with them and provides for their needs. It was natural then that when Abram and Sarai wondered why they had no direct heir of their own they would put the matter to God. And it is natural to their relationship that God would answer their plea generously.

Not only did they receive the promise of future generations, but also of a future home. And it was sealed in a remarkable way. The ceremony described in Genesis 15 follows the ancient near eastern tradition of contracts and treaties. Sacrificed animals were cut in half and both parties walked between them to seal the agreement.

Except, here it is completely one-sided. Only El in the form of fire and smoke walks between the animals. Abram and Sarai are not required to make a reciprocal promise.

Well, how could they, right? This is a divine promise. It is blessing. A reminder that everything humans achieve is derived from God’s provision. Abram and Sarai have not earned it. They have followed the road of faith to arrive at the realization of the goodness El offers.

There is nothing humankind can promise in return, save our recognition of divine gifts. And this we may do by recognizing God’s presence and love. We respond by forming our lives in praise, and in honoring and passing along the blessings we receive.

This is our road. It is not a straight path. Not a highway. It is a way of life that is filled with complexity, times of uncertainty, and a some degree of discomfort.

Smoother, straighter roads will always present themselves. And even people who consider themselves intrepid travelers may opt for the highway. Getting to the great city can become the whole point. But in preferring a smooth main road what experiences are missed? What opportunities left unexplored?  What awareness remains unexpanded?

Paul spoke about this to the Christians of Philippi. Paul’s own life was a testament to the joy of trusting God’s provision over your own achievements. He grieved over members of the faith community who were avoiding any challenges presented by following the way of Jesus.

Paul observed how some were acting as if the cross of Jesus was an embarrassment. Rooting for the world’s end in destruction so they could get to heaven. Consuming without sharing. Reframing neglect or hatred of their neighbors as acts of virtue. People whose minds could not imagine anything better than what was right in front of them.

These things are not the way of Jesus, said Paul. You can choose the promises God offers in this different path. And you have what it takes to persist in it.

After all, Jesus did persist. Some Pharisees warned him to turn back from his slow journey to the great city of Jerusalem. They invoked fear of Rome, in the form of Herod’s threat. Their concern for Jesus was intertwined with their own interests.

They were warning him: respect the state-endorsed expression of religion. Preserve the empire’s civil order.  But Jesus told the Pharisees that he was taking a different road. It will go where God leads and it will unfold in God’s time. When you see Herod next, you can give him my regrets.

He was bound for Jerusalem, a city teeming with life that he loved like a mother hen. Herod was the empire’s fox, dangerous and hungry. But he would be fearless on his way, trusting God’s provision. As had Abram and Sarai his ancestors in faith.

So Jesus continued on undeterred. Walking the back roads of Galilee. Setting people free from dishonor that they had earned, or had imposed upon them. His teaching and acts persistently announced God’s presence, love, holy provision, and blessing.

Jesus refused to take any road that did not lead to his destiny. And his destiny was love.