Pray For The Peace of Jerusalem
The Names and Titles of God (“The Way”) John 14:6
6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
King James Version
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Anybody who has driven in Massachusetts will understand this next sentence:
In order to go to my friend's house., I have to drive North on Rt 3 17 miles, navigate the Infamous Braintree Split, go SOUTH on I-93 a few miles, NORTH on Route 128 about 5 miles, SOUTH on I-95 about 15 miles, NORTH on I-495 another 13 miles, SOUTHWEST on Route 126, and then onto a few country roads, and there she is. This is a similar route if one wishes to go to the outdoor concert venue at Great Woods, or Gillette Stadium for a Football Game. The funniest part of this crazy scenario is that my friend and I live at the same line of Latitude, just not the same Longitude. What should be a 30 minute hop ends up taking more than an hour.
The reason for all of this insanity is that Boston is shaped like the hub of a wheel, and the highways are like spokes. There are two "Beltways", Route 128 being the Inner Beltway and I-495 the Outer Beltway. The Infamous Braintree Split connects Route 3, I-95, I-93, Route 128, Route I-24, and Route 37. It all comes together near Historic Quincy MA, Birthplace of TWO Presidents. Anyone wishing to travel to New Hampshire, Cape Cod, Boston, the South Shore, or Metro West needs to Pass Through the Braintree Split. Here's a Picture of it:
Traffic is usually congested because there are so many exits and onramps, but it is next to impossible to take an alternate route, due to all the small towns, crooked roads, and traffic signals. A half-hour delay at the Braintree Split translates to over an hour by any other way. As incomprehensible as it may seem, that route is really the only way to get around Eastern Massachusetts without having to go through Downtown Boston. I'm quite aware of that fact, and really don't mind using that route, except that my innate sense of direction balks at going North in order to go South, and going South in order to go North. It messes me up! I have to admit, it's rather ingenious how they were able to put that interchange in that particular spot, considering the tiny amount of space involved, the shape of the City of Boston, and the fact that the terrain is SOLID GRANITE. It is an engineering marvel, even if it is counter-intuitive. It even confuses GPS.
Some of the things Jesus said are similarly confusing and counter-intuitive. Unlike the Syncretism of the Ancient World, where Conquered and Conqueror shared each other's gods and goddesses, The God Of Abraham demands exclusivity. If one wants to take a different road, fine, but it won't lead to The Father.
I used to do a lot of quilting and displayed my wares at Craft Fairs all over New England. It amazed me how the "Artsy" Community mixed and matched symbols from hundreds of different religious traditions without any regard to their meaning. The mixing of symbols such as Dream-Catchers (Ojibwa Native American), with Isis (Ancient Egyptian), Moons and Pentegrams (Witchcraft), Earth Goddess Imagery (Pagan), Crystals (New Age), Skulls (Aztec), and Crosses (Christian), were more confusing than the Braintree Split.
But, even at the Braintree Split, not all of the roads lead to Boston. In fact, there is only ONE (I-93) that veers off and goes directly into the City. If you miss that exit, you end up driving further and further away from Boston, and you could end up in Providence RI, New Hampshire, Cape Cod, or Attleboro before you know it. If there is a Concert at Great Woods, or a Football Game at the Stadium, FORGEDDABOUTIT! You will be hopelessly LOST.
Come and Pray For the Peace of Jerusalem, For Our FRiends in Need, For Persecuted Believers, and For Our Beloved Nation.
For whatever is hidden is meant to be disclosed, and whatever is concealed is meant to be brought out into the open. (Mark 4:22)
God Bless America.
Blessings To All Who Visit This Garden of Prayer.
Hallelujah and Amen
ML/LTOS