On the Road

a story by Richard Bates

For my family, Corpus Christi was ground zero. To be more precise, it was my grandparents’ home (my mother’s parents). Except for two years to my recollection, my family and the families of two cousins gathered at my grandparents home every year for Christmas day.  My grandmother prepared the turkey, dressing, gravy, rolls and ambrosia (yum!)  The other families filled in with everything else....veggies, other salads and desserts.  The aromas and the beauty of the different foods still remain in my mind today.

Following my grandfather’s beautiful prayer and then our eating, everyone gathered in the living room for lively discussion.  As I recall, one older female cousin usually led the conversation. Today, there would probably be divisions of thought but back then it was all entertaining and fun.  I always looked forward to these moments.

So in the early 80s, Joe and I were traveling down to Corpus on Interstate 37.  Joe was driving, I was in the passenger seat and Shadrach, our Afghan hound, was stretched out in the back seat.  These were the early days of I 37 and there was a minimum of traffic.  Between San Antonio and Corpus there was a desert of radio stations....only country and western...no NPR or classical stations within miles.  So the radio was off.  It was quiet as we made our way south.  And I was keenly aware at that moment that probably most other cars were headed to their ground zero destinations...their families and hometowns, perhaps, where they grew up.

At that moment I remembered the Luke story of Joseph and Mary returning to their town of origin.  All the pieces came together and tied all of our stories into the one from long ago.

Scripture: Luke 2:1-5

In those days Caesar Augustus declared that everyone throughout the empire should be enrolled in the tax lists. This first enrollment occurred when Quirinius governed Syria. Everyone went to their own cities to be enrolled. Since Joseph belonged to David’s house and family line, he went up from the city of Nazareth in Galilee to David’s city, called Bethlehem, in Judea. He went to be enrolled together with Mary, who was promised to him in marriage and who was pregnant.

Prayer

Holy God, may this time of Advent bring recollections from times past as we usher in the rebirth of the Christ child, the Redeemer, the Prince of Peace and Reconciliation. Amen.