"From Traveler to Tourist"

A sermon preached by the Rev. Christopher E. Yopp at Edgemont Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) based on Isaiah 35:1-10.

I came across an interesting book not too long ago entitled; The Image: A Guide to Pseudo-Events in America. The book was written in 1961 by Daniel Boorstein and is a critique of American life. The third chapter is really what caught my attention, it is titled; “From Traveler to Tourist: The Lost Art of Travel.” Boorstein suggests that taking a journey has changed in the last hundred years. And certainly that is true! Even in some of your own lifetime, you have seen the change that has occurred in travel.
I had never realized that our word “travel” comes from the same root word as “travail”. “Travail,” of course, indicates or “intense labor” or “hardship,” or “work.” When we think of “traveling,” in today’s standards, more than likely those words do not come to mind. Rather, we think of convenience or ease, or even comfort. That is, of course, if we are not traveling with small children or waiting in lines at the airport. But more than likely, travel in 21st century doesn’t cause us to think of travail. But, keep in mind, before the middle of the nineteenth century, travel was not a pleasant experience. It was a kind of a torture, if you will. It was difficult, to say the least, and full of troubles. Ocean voyages took several weeks. There were no Hiltons or Holiday Inns. Comforts were left behind. There were many risks involved and dangers to confront. But the traveler who risked the pain was rewarded with a great adventure and perhaps even a new discovery. The traveler experienced the people and ways of a difficult culture, unlike his or her own. The traveler’s horizon’s were expanded.
But all of that has changed over the years, as travel has become easier and more convenient. Air flight gets us where we want to go quickly and efficiently. Once there, we can reside in nice hotels with all of the conveniences of home. Most of the risks involved in traveling have been removed. But as Boorstein reminds us, with the advent of such ease in travel, one thing is lacking: the true “experience” of travel. It has become more of what Boorstein calls: “pseudo adventure.”
Amber has said to me, on more than one occasion when we travel, I wish I could simply snap my fingers and we would be at our destination. And I would tell her that so much of the vacation, so much of the trip itself is the adventure and experience of the travel - the between time, from beginning to the destination. Now, maybe she says this because she doesn’t necessarily enjoy traveling with me or, maybe, because she doesn’t like my driving. I am not sure, but without a doubt, much of the adventure, much of the experience of the travel is what takes place between the time we start out and we arrive at our destination. And certainly that is true when it comes to life and especially our faith - our faith is a great adventure.
And sadly, too many of us treat is as a “pseudo adventure.” Something that is pseudo gives a false appearance of being real or genuine. To say that our faith is a pseudo adventure, is to say that, a lot of times we miss out on the great adventure of our faith - the travel, the experiences, the growing, the pains, the struggles, the trails, and the joys. All of which, makes our faith adventurous and complete. Sadly, many Christians treat their faith as they do life. They hurry through it. They don’t take time to savor or experience it fully. We barely commit to an our on Sunday morning. And certainly we do this during the season of Advent. We are so fixated on our destination - Christmas, that we lose sight of the preparation and joy of the Advent season itself. And yes, it’s easy to do. As I mentioned in my newsletter message this month, I have a tendency to do it as well with all of my pastoral preparations and sermonizing and planning.
The other evening, while I was driving back home from Christiansburg I was listening to a rather interesting interview with Joe Tennis NPR. Tennis is the author of a book entitled; Beach to Bluegrass: Places to Break on Virginia‘s Longest Road. That road, if you didn’t know, is Route 58.
Joe Tennis, who is a Radford University graduate, published his first book, Southwest Virginia Crossroads, in 2004, which showcases major attractions in the region. However, he said, “Just a few months after Crossroads was published, I was ready to start something new. As I went along, I noticed that I had this big interest in things on the coast where I'd grown up and things back in Southwest Virginia that I had just written about.”
And so, while he was visiting his parents in Virginia Beach in 2005, he got the idea to connect these two places with a road. He decided to drive Route 58 the whole way back to Bristol to gain inspiration for his book. His book offers a collection of historical stories that have all taken place along Route 58 from the beach to the bluegrass and points in-between. Now, I haven’t read the book, but it does sounds interesting.
And as I listened to that interview I couldn’t help but think of our Scripture Lesson this morning, where Isaiah speaks of an even greater road or highway than that of Route 58. The highway Isaiah was speaking about has been prepared by God. Isaiah paints a beautiful picture of hope for the people of Israel - a people whose lives had become as dry and as barren as a desert. Here, Isaiah promises one who is living water, who will come and quench the land and the thirsty souls of the people. “The wilderness and the dry land,” Isaiah says, “shall be glad, the desert shall rejoice and blossom.” The people of Israel had waited 800 years for such a promise to be fulfilled. And Isaiah reminds them that it is not only a time of peace and prosperity, but a time of healing, as well. “Strengthen the weak hands,” announces Isaiah, “and make firm the feeble knees. Say to those who are of a fearful heart, ‘Be strong, do not fear! Here is your God… He will come and save you.’ Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped; then the lame shall leap like a deer and the tongues of the speechless shall sing for joy. For waters shall break forth in the wilderness and streams in the desert…” What beautiful poetic words!
In Christ, we find these words being fulfilled. You remember when Jesus returned to his hometown of Nazareth and, while in the synagogue reading that scroll of the prophet Isaiah which affirmed; “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, to proclaim the years of the Lord’s favor.” And Jesus, when he finished reading those words, roll the scroll back up, and gave it to the attendant, and sitting down he said to the people; “Today, this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.” Jesus was announcing, that day in the synagogue, the reign of the Messiah - that his kingdom was at hand.
And you remember in the 11th chapter Matthew, John was imprisoned, his death impending, was beginning to feel hopeless and he needed reassuring, and so he sent word to Jesus and said; “Are you the one who is to come, or are we to wait for another?” And Jesus said; “Go and tell John what you have heard and seen: the blind have received their sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor have good news brought to them. And blessed is anyone who takes no offense at me.” I love the New Living Bible’s paraphrasing of verse 6: “Happy are those who do not doubt me, but join me!”
This “highway” that Isaiah is speaking of is Christ. For it is Christ who links our hearts to the heart of God. And we who were once crippled and lame, have been healed; we, who were once dry and barren as a desert now have the spring of living water flowing from our very lives. That is what God’s coming in the person and presence of Christ has done to our lives. And Jesus says to us; “Happy are those who do not doubt me, but join me” in making the highway of God assessable for the world - inviting others to travel on it.
The season of Advent is a reminder that the Savior has come and that we must welcome him anew and afresh in our hearts and lives; that we must walk on that highway of God and invite others to join us and to travel with us unto that place God has prepared for us, for it is then that we move from being travelers to tourist!