This summer Kenan and I (Liesl) took a trip to Denali National Park, where we backpacked for nine days in the wilderness. This was my first time hiking and camping where there were no trails or designated campsites, navigating instead by compass and topographic map. Never have I been so glad to see human footprints in nature: Someone had been there before.
One thing I learned from this venture was the luxury of finding a path. Whether following animal tracks or human, being the second person to go through the brush made it physically and psychologically easier to get through tough terrain. This rock was steady, this tree branch would hold, this mud wouldn’t sink. Someone had been there before.
Advent is a time of making preparations and making paths straight. In Luke 3, we meet John the Baptizer, the great prophet of the wilderness, who left footprints for his disciples to follow. His path led to Jesus as the true Messiah — one we still follow today.
We too, whether by example or investment, make paths for friends, neighbors, and future generations. John the Baptist pointed to a world saved by God’s mercy. Where do our footprints lead?
Three Holy Days
In our tradition, we make space on Maundy Thursday to remember central parts of our faith story. We hear about the...
