Two Roads; Two Worlds; Two Realities

Robert Frost's familiar poem The Road Not Taken concludes,

"Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—

I took the one less traveled by,

And that has made all the difference."

 One thing that's obvious about Robert Frost's poem is that it does speak of two roads, and to me as well, biblically speaking I believe, of two worlds. As was predicted of me by a Native American when I was a kid that I would see two worlds someday. (Read my life story: My Journey Through This Mortal Time.)

And so what are those two worlds--two realities? They are the temporal reality of humanity and the eternal reality: the Kingdom of God.

Jesus (Yeshua) speaks of it as two gates—ways—and how we can enjoy the eternal reality even while traveling through this temporal time.

Matthew 7:13-14

¹³ “You can enter God’s Kingdom only through the narrow gate. The highway to hell^[a] is broad, and its gate is wide for the many who choose that way. ¹⁴ But the gateway to life is very narrow and the road is difficult, and only a few ever find it.

1. 7:13 Greek The road that leads to destruction.

 

Psalm 1 also discusses the two ways: the way of the wicked and the way of the godly. The Psalm concludes, "For the LORD watches over the path of the godly, but the path of the wicked leads to destruction," (Psalm 1:6). The LORD watches over us in our going.

The two ways/two worlds/two realities have been around since Genesis chapter 3. But it was not so in the beginning. Genesis 1:1 reads, "In the beginning, God created…" and God saw it was “very good” (Genesis 1:31).

But then at Genesis chapter 3, where we read of Adam and Eve being tempted by that evil one to eat of the forbidden fruit; in so doing humanity was cast into rebellion against God.  That evil one having been kicked out of Heaven because of his pride and cast down to earth to perform his deceptive and dastardly deeds among humanity (see 1 Peter 5:8) to try to build his kingdom – a second world, a second reality.  (See Isaiah 14:12-14; Ezekiel 28:12-18; Revelation 12:7-12.)

And so, there it is the two roads/two worlds/two realities in this time, either the broad way or the narrow way. The broad (wide) way is "disguised” – made attractive like it's the easy and most pleasurable way to go (see Genesis 3:6-9 and 1 John 2:16-17). But then, going down that way leads to destruction.

In the movie, The Wizard of Oz Dorothy has to travel the Yellow Brick Road to the Emerald City to meet the wizard so hoping she can find her way back home.

In my seeing that movie I observed there was another road – a red brick road – parallel to the yellow brick road. Wondering where that red brick road goes,  I imagined another story, where the red brick road represents the blood of Jesus (Yeshua) by which we enter the Kingdom of God and the Holy City. (See Colossians 1:24; Ephesians 1:7; Hebrews 9:14, 22.)

I reconsidered Robert Frost's poem and wrote my own poem: 

The Road Taken

Two roads forked along my earthly path,

One like what I've been traveling all my days.

I as one traveler, at that fork, long I stood,

Looking down the other as far as I could

Narrower and winding it was

Hardly any travelers were trekking down that road.

The other (so familiar), broad and wide,

Brilliantly lighted, and voices of joy it seemed --

Sports fans, movies, and TV, the Hollywood craves.

I enjoyed it too for many of my days,

And at that fork, long I stood. Then a whisper,

"Come along now, try the narrow path."

I shall be telling this with a glee

Somewhere strolling along this temporal way:

Two roads forked along my earthly path; 

I took the narrow way. 

Though rocks and ruts and roots there have been,

Trekking with Jesus, the eternal reality in view. 

there is no end.

 

Impressions From The Heart is a self-employed endeavor for the glory of God. If readers of these posts are blessed, challenged, and encouraged to share their faith, thank you for your support via PayPal.