Roads

Yesterday’s post featured a song, a poem, and a scripture speaking of roads. Each item is about making choices. The song by Krauss and Snow is about the mistakes in life and the roads taken that were wrong choices that affect the rest of our lives - and about the resolve to not make the same or even worse mistakes again. Taking the “road less traveled on” is seen as the way to avoid such mistakes.

The road less travelled is a common theme. Frost seems to choose (although there is some discussion about exactly which road the person chooses) the path that is less worn, the path that fewer people take. Jesus calls us to take the narrow road that is taken by fewer people. The question for us is, “what is the path less travelled?” How do we know whether or not we are on that path? Certainly, the path of following Jesus is a path less travelled. But, even then, there is a tendency to follow the crowd who seem to be following Jesus rather than to truly keep our eyes on the Master.

Meanwhile, Frost speaks of “telling this with a sigh.” Interpreting that sigh is truly the key to understanding the thoughts of this poet and the meaning of the poem (not necessarily one and the same). Certainly, to understand each of these poetic stories, one must take into account longing and regret, right and wrong, good choices and poor choices. Jesus calls us to the narrow way that few travel; but I must guard my own heart and mind so that I might not think too highly of the path I have chosen for myself. What of further branching of the road? I may have made one right or wrong choice but, in the immortal words of Robert Plant,

“Yes, there are two paths you can go by
But in the long run
There's still time to change the road you're on.” (lyrics to "Stairway to Heaven")