faith unfaded

I was telling someone about the Huey P. Long secret tunnel that went from the now-Hilton Hotel to the now-Hotel Indigo in Baton Rouge.

During renovations of the properties, the Hilton reopened the tunnel, turning it into a speakeasy with nods to both the historical and clandestine uses of the underground passage. The IHG property opted to leave their side sealed off.

It reminded me of an infrastructure project when I lived in Central Mississippi. Deciding a major road cut through undeveloped land would alleviate traffic problems in two neighboring cities, each town broke ground on its (literal) side of the road.

One city finished quickly, the anticipated road that would cut 25 minutes off my morning commute ending in a field. For several years it sat that way, half a road finished while drivers could do nothing but wait patiently for the other city to open up their road.

We continued our morning commutes with alternate routes — how silly would it have been to sit at the dead end, refusing to move until construction was finished?

I realized what a perfect example of reconciliation this was. The stories of estrangements between parents and children have become more and more frequent. I’ve been no stranger to that heartbreak. Friendship rifts break hearts as well.

We stand on the promises of reconciliation — but what do we do in the meantime?

What happens when you are standing with arms open — wishing, waiting — and face nothing but a field with a DEAD END sign staring you in the face?

When you travel through an underground tunnel excavated by hand only to reach a wall of concrete no dynamite could even blast through?

Trying to barrel through is a lesson in futility. It leaves you frustrated, exhausted, and bruised.

You can still envision the day the road goes all the way through. But you can’t sit there with your car turned off and wait.

You can’t do the work on property that doesn’t belong to you.

Take your freshly excavated tunnel and turn it into a glorious event center. Plant flowers along your portion of the road. Keep faith alive.

But stay on your side of the property divide.