In my small downtown neighborhood the brick buildings butt up against the main highway that stretches straight through at the super speed of 30 mph. When it comes to making a left turn, you have to be very careful to see around the edges and in most cases you can't see what is coming. Still, it is a leap to go ahead and make that turn because your trying to get somewhere.
Easter is very much a reminder of left turns and sightless hope because the Resurrection is the promise of difficult tasks that will be accomplished with faith. A few years back you may have read the story about the United Postal Service planning their routes in America to have more right turns, and thus less idle time using gas and valuable service time. The opposite is true for the person who longs to know Christ. The outcome for the UPS was to increase revenue which could easily be seen in dollars and cents. The outcome for the faithful in the Holy Church is far greater than dollars and cents and depends upon that same sightless hope which we may use to make left turns when the view seems blocked.
The easy way is not always the best way. You have probably heard this saying before. It is hard to see it as true when pride tells you otherwise. Physically, making an endless amount of easy right turns will only lead you in a circle, whereas life is a series of multi-directional turns that lead you on the path of the will of God. Left turns are a leap of faith. They are scary sometimes and can be downright dangerous at other times. These metaphorical turns in life have much more fruit than an easy way out or in or through. The difficult decisions that our interactions with others create are the masters of our character and soul. Would it be so great to explain to the maker that you were so crafty as to only make easy right turns in your life? The soul and character would be made of mush at that point because of the folly of the easy road.
Left turns in life are usually about people. The turn starts with someone else but always ends up with you. In the end, the turn depends on you. The sightless leap of faith around a blind corner happens if you chose to go that way. New opportunities are more likely to arise on that path not taken. Forward is the only way that a hard task leaves one to take. Would it be so great to explain to the maker that you were so scared but you took that leap of faith anyway? The soul and character would be made of the very strong stone that you once believed blocked your path.
The Resurrection is a New way of thinking. A new path has been lit by the Christ and the Father above waits for your arrival on that weaving way of hardships and renewal.
If your right turns are pride and vanity, let humility and poverty be your left turn. If your right turns are hatred and anger, let forgiveness and peace be your left turn. If your right turns aim you right at yourself, let Jesus Christ be your left turn and turn to Him again and again.
Alleluia! He is Risen!
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