“A highway shall be there, and it shall be called the Holy Way; the unclean shall not travel on it, but it shall be for God’s people; no traveler, not even fools, shall go astray.”
-Isaiah 35:8

Oh, God said to Abraham, “Kill me a son.”
Abe said, “Man, you must be putting me on.”
God said, “No.” Abe say, “What?”
God say, “You can do what you want to, Abe, but
The next time you see me comin’, you better run.”
Well, Abe said, “Where d’you want this killin’ done?”
God said, “Out on Highway 61.”
-Bob Dylan, “Highway 61 Revisited”

Being the wanderer that I am, I’m a sucker for a highway song. And if you are an aficionado of pop music, you have plenty of songs to choose from besides Dylan’s classic interpretation of Genesis, set against a disorienting sense of Cold War angst.

Looking over the various Bible versions of Isaiah’s prophecy, there seems to be some confusion over whether or not fools are allowed on the Highway of Holiness. Being in that camp myself, I live in the faith that, like most epic road trips I’ve taken in my life, it’s not the traveler who defines the highway, but the highway that transforms those — fools included — who travel it.

Lord, help me to discern the path you have placed before me, and to pay attention to those who travel it with me. Your way may be rocky and hard at times, but the horizon always beckons brightly. Amen.
-Michael Boss