Some amazing highways in Canada are the Sea to Sky Highway between Vancouver and Whistler, the Icefields Parkway between Banff and Jasper, and the Cabot Trail around Cape Breton in Nova Scotia. Other world examples are the Milford Road in New Zealand, the Almafi Coast Drive in Italy, and the Tianmen Mountain Highway in China, nicknamed the “heaven-linking avenue.” Is there a road on earth leading us to heaven? We are all searching for a way to life or creating our own way. Needing a way is inherent to being human.

Our sermon series this fall is entitled “The Beautiful Way,” based on Matthew 3-5. What does this way look like? Is there an onramp? The Gospel of Matthew opens with people from around the world choosing this Way: Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, Wise Men from the East, and Joseph. About 25 years after Joseph chooses to return to Israel from Egypt with Mary, his wife, and his infant son, Jesus, a prophet appears in Judean wilderness. The prophet points the way to the onramp!