Travel and Thinking of the Great Letter Writers of the Past

I have spent a lot of the month of October in the car.  Some of it was expected travel:  going up to DC for the onground intensive week for 2 of my seminary classes.  Much of it was unexpected:  going back and forth to Columbia, SC to get some internet access and electricity in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene and taking the long way to Bristol.

I thought of that long way to Bristol, of my little church that I love so much, of how the route to that church, all the routes that are more direct, have been washed away.  The remaining routes are over 3 hours long; on Saturday October 12, we took the only remaining route (west on I 40, north on I 77, south on I 81) which took us 5 hours and which we cannot do every Sunday.

As I drove, I thought of all the letter writers of the past, Christian and not, who have kept people and communities in their hearts, even as they find themselves far away.  My thoughts went back to Paul, who has never been my favorite Christian/theologian/letter writer.  On Sunday, as I drove home from DC, I thought of Paul, starting congregations, unable to get back to them very often.  I thought of Paul, who from his letters seems so disappointed so often.  But maybe there are other letters that tell of his joy--we see a glimpse of that.

Let me remind us all of the high cost of sending letters back in the day of Paul.  You wouldn't send letters then, the way you send letters now.  You would likely write on some type of animal skin or parchment, and you'd have to find a messenger to take your letter to the recipient, which often involved a very dangerous trip.  All of this would cost a significant amount of money.  So you probably wouldn't write just to say, "Keep up the good work."  You'd make that effort for communities that needed guidance.

I don't know how my sojourn as Synod Appointed Minister for Faith Lutheran in Bristol will end.  It's already gone longer than the original plan; my original contract went through February of 2024.  And of course, every position is temporary, whether we realize it or not.  I take comfort in knowing that I can continue to pray for this community, even if I can't get there to lead them in worship.