Early morning run on the Atlantic and Yadkin Greenway

To tell you the truth, I don’t remember the last time I slept in. I’m not sure my old body has that concept in its metabolism.

On Sunday, October 15, I’m up early in Summerfield, North Carolina. Our oldest daughter, her husband, their two children, and my boss, the Commander Supreme, are sleeping.

I’m quietly working to carry out my plan to take a run on the Atlantic and Yadkin Greenway. The now asphalt path was once a part of the Atlantic-Yadkin Railway. Just after sunrise, I’m going to drive to the trail head and park in a small lot off Strawberry Road.

This morning, I’m the first one to arrive in the parking lot. So, I carefully back my car into a space. I make sure I have the car key, and I walk a few steps to the start of the greenway.

I’m greeted by a bold red sign with this message—CAUTION: Rough Greenway Conditions Ahead. I didn’t let that warning deter me, but it wasn’t long before I understood the advisory.

Sections of the asphalt surface were being prepared for a new paving. Every so often, the base asphalt was uneven, riveted with narrow ridges, and occasionally a shallow pothole. In these sections, I took extra care to watch where my feet landed.

Early on, the Greenway has a wooden timbered foot bridge that takes me across Lake Brandt. I catch a quick glimpse of a spectacular splash of sunrise color before the tree line blocks my view.

Squirrels dart along the underbrush. At about knee height, low flying birds quietly crisscross the path.

Further up, in a singular pond off to my left, a startled Blue Heron awkwardly leaves the shallows. With a few flaps of its long wings, the Heron finds its graceful stability, and flies off to find another silent shoreline faraway from an ungraceful old runner.

I encounter a few singular runners and dog walkers. The greenway twists and turns in some sections including a few inclines tossed in just to keep runners honest. Courtesy of October’s cooler temperatures and a fading warm sun, in a few spots, my shoes rustle through a thin layer of leaves.

At about seventeen minutes out, the Greenway merges into a street. Not wanting to explore, I retrace my steps back to the Strawberry Road lot.

On early morning runs, I do something dangerous—I think.

This morning, I keep thinking about the words on the caution sign—rough greenway conditions ahead. I think those words could apply to our daily living too. Caution—rough human conditions ahead.

Right now, it doesn’t matter your news feed, the headlines are discouraging with Israel and Palestine dominating our daily updates followed closely by Russia and Ukraine.

I am no historian or theologian, but I think it is safe to say the world has always had a caution sign warning us about rough conditions ahead.

No matter how hard we might try, peace is absent.

Why is that?

Is it because we are incapable of letting go of our differences and offering love instead of conflict?

Some days, I wonder why God doesn’t say to himself: “Ok, this is it. I’ve had enough, I’m going to put Earth out of its misery—kaboom, and we’re gone.”

As frustrated as God and Jesus must be with us, perhaps they are hoping that you, me, we, us will finally wake up and apply these words to every lingering conflict in the world, America, Virginia, Richmond, Henrico, and Trinity—“love your neighbor as yourself.”