I returned this weekend from one week of travels wherein I visited far flung points of interest. I have a few thoughts on returning and reflecting on this experience.
One of the points of interest was Las Vegas. It comes by it’s moniker sin city honestly. The cloud of sin hangs low over that city and flying into it was like throwing ones hand into a briar patch to chase after a lost mustard seed. The spiritual nature of places–and feeling it, experiencing it–is new to me.
In thinking about the nature of Las Vegas I compared it to other cities I have visited. I have talked about how I live close to Washington, DC; I have recently had cause to visit New York City. Neither of those cities makes me feel quite so assailed. I think it is because of the nature of those cities, or the spirits of those cities. New York I think it is fair to say is a monument to Mammon; DC a monument to false authority. Money and Power are not so easily accessible as sins of the flesh, which Las Vegas is known for. I might be drawn to New York or DC like a moth to a light, but I might also use the light to light my way and ignore the luminous summons. In contrast, Las Vegas is a raging fire threatening to consume those who come too close–it is hard to approach without feeling the heat.
The other stop on my journey was Anchorage, Alaska. The natural beauty of that place is incomparable. Proximity to nature is proximity to God. Cities are not of themselves impediments to God, but cities develop spirits like Las Vegas, New York, or DC, and those spirits can be impediments to God. It is hard to imagine focusing disordered attention on a spirit when the highest heights of a city center are overshadowed by God’s own mountainous ramparts.
You may have heard of the phrase “Impostor syndrome”–it is the feeling that one has received benefits one does not deserve. A new manager might feel impostor syndrome, because he has received the title without feeling like he is truly qualified. That is a polite construction of what in times past might have been called “feeling like a fraud”. I spent some time on these travels feeling like a fraud. Perhaps it was the ill-tempered spirits of the cities I was in, or my own ill-tempered spirit during my extended travels. In any case–spiritual words must be followed by spiritual actions. Spiritual actions are hard, words are easy. This blog is a monument to the impotent words I can produce and may or may not relate to my actions. Actions are the important part of a faith–Faith without works is nothing.
It is easy to feel safe and secure when one refuses to leave home, but one really learns what one is made of when we step outside. We might get scratched and bruised and beaten on the first time out. But the second time out, we know what to expect. Now that I know (and have experienced) that places have spirits, now that I know my faith must be put more and more into action, the next time I travel I will be ready. Surely then, I will learn new and different lessons to reflect upon. You can rely on reading some words about it here, even if I can’t show you my actions.
AMDG
Times-Dispatch of Vichy Earth 