Prepare the Way
On an early morning mountain hike, the trail was peaceful and serene. It was unencumbered by people, noise, and the frenzy of my every-day life.
Prepare the way of the Lord, prepare the way of the Lord,
and all people will see the salvation of our God.
My thoughts kept turning to the burden of distractions of this life. As I trudged up this mountain and my thoughts weaved and bobbed with the trail, a moment of clarity.
Prepare the way of the Lord, prepare the way of the Lord,
and all people will see the salvation of our God.
I asked myself, “what are the things that are keeping me from fully living as a disciple of Christ.” What were the barriers, distractions, fears, and pain, both self-inflicted and/or externally applied?
Prepare the way of the Lord, prepare the way of the Lord,
and all people will see the salvation of our God.
I continued to climb, I honestly and candidly named and claimed all those things that were barriers in living the way of Christ. And as I ascended, I laid those all down before God.
Prepare the way of the Lord, prepare the way of the Lord,
and all people will see the salvation of our God.
It was there that I had an unexpectedly intimate experience with the Creator, Redeemer, and Sustainer.
Prepare the way of the Lord, prepare the way of the Lord,
and all people will see the salvation of our God.
Call it healing; call it cleansing; call it conversion, call it transformation, call it what you want. It was the moment where I knew that I was no longer the person that I used to be and going back to that person was no longer an option.
Prepare the way of the Lord, prepare the way of the Lord,
and all people will see the salvation of our God.
At the top of the mountain, all I felt was the deepest sense of peace, calm, and wholeness. I am imperfect and yet still loved. And it is through the redeeming of love and sacrifice of Christ Jesus, I am healed and made whole every single day.
Prepare the way of the Lord, prepare the way of the Lord,
and all people will see the salvation of our God.
Hymn: Prepare the Way of the Lord
Words: Isaiah 40:3 and 52:10
Music: Jacques Berthier and the Community of Taizé, 1982.
Karla Koon is a Worship Leader and Eucharistic Minister at St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church, in the Greenlake neighborhood of Seattle. When not serving at church or working as the Director of HR Operations and Administration for Catholic Community Services of Western Washington (Catholic Charities), you can find Karla, reading, quilting, golfing, hiking, kayaking, and (safely) gathering with friends and family.
