…you’ll be in it for the next 200 miles.

Or 200 days. Or 200 years.

As the old saying suggests, life is full of ruts – well-worn paths that meander through the wilderness of existence, promising to lead us to new and better things.

But too often, these ruts don’t deliver on their promise. Most often, the ruts we follow are simply extensions of the past that disconnect us from today’s realities and prevent us from discovering and experiencing the beauty and excitement of what is new and possible in the present and future.

As a person, I know that my life is much too controlled by the past of my upbringing,  decisions and experiences.

As a follower of Christ, I know that Christianity is in a rut that has lost its ability to make people well.

As a member of the human race, I know that all the ruts of race, creed and culture are tearing away at the very undercarriage of our common humanity.

So how can we break free of the unhealthy ruts in which we have become stuck? How can we find new ways that lead to meaning, wholeness and joy?

Lutheran Pastor Peter Marty says we have to learn (or re-learn) to use our imagination.

Didn’t John Lennon once sing a song about that?