Build a highway cleared of obstacles

Whenever I’m giving training to community or statutory groups on ‘accessibility’ the first thing mentioned is level pathways and the provision of a ramp. Always a good start, especially if you are a wheelchair user like me. But many of us living with a disability of some sort know that good accessibility isn’t just about ramps or other physical obstacles preventing access. I certainly think it is unlikely that this Old Testament writer was thinking specifically of tactile ramps, hearing loop systems, sign language interpreters or safe spaces for people who are neurodivergent. 

I am convinced, however, that this passage was conveying something far deeper than physical access. Preparedness! Hospitality! And the cultivation of a ‘Welcome’ attitude that paves the way for all people to access the Gospel of Christ. Put another way, it’s about being intentional about the removal of the obstacles in our communities that exclude or prevent people from finding Jesus. Obstacles that prevent us from breathing in Jesus often because of a skewed interpretation of Bible theology that we may have been exposed to; and obstacles that prevent us from breathing out Jesus to those around us because we been prevented from exercising our unique spiritual gifts. Obstacles that are particularly true for those who are different or live on the margins of our communities. 

The imagery of a highway cleared of obstacles, whether they are physical or attitudinal, speaks of a landscape that has been transformed. Where everyone called is equipped and enabled, through whatever means, to enjoying a purpose-filled life and play their part in sharing the Gospel with others. The Highway Isaiah speaks of was never meant to be a one-way process… and Jesus was never sent to earth to die for us alone. 

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