Contemplative Bible Reading

Luke 3:5 (New Living Translation)

The valleys will be filled,
and the mountains and hills made level.
The curves will be straightened,
and the rough places made smooth.

These verses from Luke’s Gospel are about John the Baptizer. The words are quoted from the prophet Isaiah describing how John would prepare the way for Jesus.

This verse hit me hard. Several years ago, I was caught on the road in a snowstorm. I was in Virginia, where there are hills and valleys and (small) mountains. It is difficult to drive on a snow covered road that is going up a hill.

I recall vividly driving on Interstate 81 all alone. There were no other vehicles on a stretch of road that traversed about 20 miles. As I drove up each hill, I prayed. I prayed that the van would make it to the top and not slide back down to the bottom uncontrollably. We made it.

Good roads, good cars, all those conveniences make us forget how much an obstacle hills and valleys present. We lose the appreciation for how Isaiah described the work of John.