The Spiritual Benefits of Road Trips
Indianapolis First Friends Quaker Meeting
Pastor Bob Henry
July 9, 2023
Good morning, Friends and welcome to Light Reflections. Our scripture for today is from Luke 24:13-35 from the New Revised Standard Version.
Now on that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem, and talking with each other about all these things that had happened. While they were talking and discussing, Jesus himself came near and went with them, but their eyes were kept from recognizing him. And he said to them, “What are you discussing with each other while you walk along?” They stood still, looking sad. Then one of them, whose name was Cleopas, answered him, “Are you the only stranger in Jerusalem who does not know the things that have taken place there in these days?” He asked them, “What things?” They replied, “The things about Jesus of Nazareth, who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, and how our chief priests and leaders handed him over to be condemned to death and crucified him. But we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel. Yes, and besides all this, it is now the third day since these things took place. Moreover, some women of our group astounded us. They were at the tomb early this morning, and when they did not find his body there, they came back and told us that they had indeed seen a vision of angels who said that he was alive. Some of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but they did not see him.” Then he said to them, “Oh, how foolish you are and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have declared! Was it not necessary that the Messiah should suffer these things and then enter into his glory?” Then beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted to them the things about himself in all the scriptures.
As they came near the village to which they were going, he walked ahead as if he were going on. But they urged him strongly, saying, “Stay with us, because it is almost evening and the day is now nearly over.” So he went in to stay with them. When he was at the table with them, he took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them. Then their eyes were opened, and they recognized him, and he vanished from their sight. They said to each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us while he was talking to us on the road, while he was opening the scriptures to us?” That same hour they got up and returned to Jerusalem, and they found the eleven and their companions gathered together. They were saying, “The Lord has risen indeed, and he has appeared to Simon!” Then they told what had happened on the road and how he had been made known to them in the breaking of the bread.
Before I begin my message this morning, I want to thank Eric and Beth for bringing two wonderful messages while I was enjoying vacation with my family. It is so encouraging to have such outstanding partners in ministry to rely on while away. Thank you both!
The story of the road to Emmaus is one of my favorite stories in the Bible. There are so many ways to interpret it, but even more I find myself experiencing it in new ways every time I take a walk around my neighborhood or a road trip to another state.
Our family just returned from a 10-day road trip to Florida. To be totally honest, I simply do not like to fly – I would much rather take a road trip in a car or van. That is probably because my parents instilled in me the importance of road trips at an early age. Taking time to allow your mind to escape the daily and see new sights, experience new people, have new conversations, even try new foods was all a part of the experience.
As a father, I too have instilled these important aspects into our family. When our children were younger, we would take a road trip about every two weeks. Some were just a daytrip while others were over-nighters. We might take a hike in a local park, head to the coast for dinner and to see the sunset, or in Oregon we might take a weekend trip to Seattle or to visit a friend in another state. We loved taking road trips to National Parks, State Parks, and seashores to see wildlife or watch the whales heading north (one of Sue’s favorites).
Once when I was out on the Oregon Coast for my doctoral program, a few of my cohort took a Sunday morning road trip up the Oregon Coast in search of lighthouses. Along the way, we stopped in Pacific City and climbed the sand dunes to get a view of the raging Pacific Ocean as it hit the many rock formations just below us. At one point we all decided to lay down on the ground and simply experience the sights, sounds, and smells.
The experience was not only overwhelming, but it was transcendent. One of my friends said, “This is better than any church I have been to on Sunday morning.” In that moment we experienced the beauty of the Divine all around us. There was a sense of cleansing, a sense of renewal, and a sense of true connection.
After coming down from the sand dunes and rock formations, we all had lunch together at a favorite restaurant – The Pelican Pub and Brewery. Together we shared in a meal of fish and chips and cold beer. As we were about to enjoy our meal, one of my friends, said, “Quakers would consider this communion” and it truly was.
To this day, that road trip changed me. It helped me see the Divine in new ways, to connect in new ways, to experience life outside of the box I had put it in. I shared with my friends, that being on top of those sand dunes and rock formations, I felt how the disciples must have felt on the road to Emmaus when their eyes were opened to that of God in their midst. I know my eyes were opened to God in the mighty ocean, the wind blowing over me, in the people I was with, even the conversations and laughs in the car.
From that moment on, I began to realize the spiritual benefits of road trips and how good they are for one’s soul. On several occasions I have written about this and even seen walks and road trips as spiritual disciplines. As I began to study this more, I found that others were talking about how important Road Trips are for one’s soul. Just “Google it” and you will find article after article about the value of road trips.
One of the articles I came across was “10 Reasons Why Road Trips are Good for the Soul” by Harry Kettle on the site “The Travel”. His points really spoke well to what I have learned and experienced – let me highlight a few of them.
Take time to reflect on life.
Kettle says, “There’s no point in sitting down and pretending like everything is okay 100% of the time, because it’s not, and it’s great to be able to admit that. Sometimes, you just need to be able to clear your head, not think about anything else, and just allow the miles that you travel to enhance your clarity on life.”
I could not agree more. I once was told that driving or even commuting can be a daily spiritual retreat. Instead of filling it with radio noise or music, just embracing the silence and taking in your surroundings, can open your eyes to new possibilities and allow your soul to refresh.
Take time to explore the countryside.
On our recent trip to Florida, our GPS took us off the highways a couple of times to avoid accidents. One of those times, we found ourselves driving through an “old growth” pecan tree farm in Georgia. Just before leaving, I had been reading Jimmy Carter’s book, “Living Faith” where he talked about the challenges of farming, racism, and faith in this same region. A connection was made off the beaten path that I was not expecting. It put life into his words.
I wonder what would happen if we allowed ourselves to explore the countrysides of our life more often? We might see with new eyes.
Take time to forget about work.
Kettle says, “Whether it be a deadline that has just been and gone or a potential promotion that is dangling overhead like a carrot, none of that matters on a road trip.”
A road trip allows us to put the chaos of life and the noise of the world behind us for a moment so we can again hear what the Divine is speaking to us. It breaks the cycle of the ordinary and gives us a break from our daily grind. Work can wait – this time is for you.
Thus, Kettle says, enjoy your music. As we know so well here at First Friends, music speaks to our condition – and specific songs speak deeply to our soul. Last year Sue and I took a road trip by ourselves and I put together a collection of CDs for us to listen to in the car of her favorite music – as we were celebrating her 50th birthday. As we listened, we realized how many songs had special meaning to our lives and the places we had experienced them together. It was a trip down memory lane.
In one of my favorite “road trip” movies, Elizabethtown, Claire (played by Kirsten Dunst) questions Drew (played by Orlando Bloom),
“To have never taken a solitary road trip across country? I mean everybody's got to take a road trip, at least once in their lives. Just you and some music.”
In response Claire prepares a road trip with accompanying map and soundtrack for Drew to experience as he deals with his father’s death and his seemingly failed life. I don’t want to give away the movie – but it is such a powerful way to show exactly what I am talking about in this sermon – I highly recommend you steam it.
Now, music is important but as I mentioned earlier silence is also important. Turning off the radio and listening to the rain can be just as spiritual or renewing. Or listening to the cicadas at night.
Take time to experience different cultures.
Kettle says, “Whether it’s visiting a new place for the first time or just stopping off for gas, there are new cultures to be explored within every single corner of the globe.”
If you don’t believe this – you have not been to Buc-ees - a gas station destination throughout the south - which this trip we seemed to avoid because of the long lines.
Sue is the queen of finding local restaurants for us to try on trips. This trip we found Hull’s Seafood Market and Restaurant on Ormond Beach, Florida which was a gem of a place with lots of history and fishing/beach culture (something foreign to us suburban/city dwellers). On the walls of the restaurant, you can read the story of Captain Hull who at the age of 10 had a passion to be on the water and 40 years later would still be providing fresh fish to the people of Ormond Beach.
Take time to make memories with family and friends.
As Kettle states, “The old saying is that we’ve only got one life so we should just shut up and live it, and as stereotypical as that may seem, it’s true. The friends and family that we surround ourselves with aren’t going to be around forever, and that’s a harsh reality that we all must face.”
This year, my parents are celebrating their 51st wedding anniversary. Since Sue and I did not know what to get them for their 51st anniversary, we did what any good person would do, we googled it to find out. For one’s 51st anniversary they are to return to their honeymoon spot. So, we invited my parents to join us to go along on our vacation this year. 51 years ago, they went to Disney World for their honeymoon and the park was in its inaugural year. We made it an even bigger celebration since I was celebrating my 50th birthday and Alex (who was celebrating their 25th birthday) flew in from Austin, TX to join us and we all had a magical time at Disney World together. We were making memories that will last a lifetime. Folks, my mom and dad even went on Test Track and Rise of the Resistance and I have photos to prove it!
And it doesn’t just have to be family. Some of my favorite road trips have been with friends or colleagues. It is all about experiencing it together.
Now, this is a very important one – Take a break from social media.
Kettle says that “Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat, and beyond are all incredibly addictive tools, and they can all be used for good. At the same time, they can also be abused, to the point where they no longer become fun anymore. Perhaps the idea of not using any of them throughout the course of a road trip isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, but at the very least, restricting your usage can be great for your own state of mind. By simply looking up from that smartphone, a whole new world of possibilities can be discovered.
One of the first questions I received when I returned from vacation was “I haven’t seen any posts about your vacation.” I only posted two photos the entire trip. When I drive my phone is usually used for the maps – so that makes it easy for me to not get caught up in social media. Also, I want my time to focus on those I am with. But the reality is that I need about two days to come off of social media and that is hard. It is clear that when you do – an entire world of possibilities are awaiting to be discovered.
Maybe our connection with the Divine and one another is suffering because we aren’t looking up and around more often.
And lastly, take time for the adventure.
As Kettle says, “every single part of a road trip forms a brand new piece of the puzzle – and a brand new adventure to go alongside it. It’s important to push yourself outside the realms of your comfort zone from time to time because that’s the kind of thing that makes your soul smile. It sounds cliché and a little bit corny, but it’s what makes us feel alive again.
I believe the disciples on the road to Emmaus felt alive again. What did they say, “Were not our hearts burning within us while he was talking to us on the road?” There was a new passion growing within them. And I believe if we take the time to take a walk or road trip and expect that the Divine will meet us on the journey through nature, through each other, through the experiences we have together, we too will feel more alive.
So, plan to take a walk or road trip this week and see how God will meet you along your path! Enjoy the adventure!
Now, as we enter waiting worship, take a moment to consider the following queries:
What “countrysides” do I need to explore?
Who should I take with me on a road trip? Where should we go?
What is getting in the way of me having a new adventure with the Divine?