The High Line

New York City is the most influential city in the world. It is a culture center. It is the ‘city’ that never sleeps. For people who do not call the United States their home, NYC is the city with an icon that they must see before they leave…the Statue of Liberty. Lady Liberty stands for freedom.

Every nation is represented in this city. It is the melting pot for people groups. It is the place that represents the heart of a holy God who tells us of His love for the whole world. This love is a genuine and unconditional love. It is a love demonstrated and gracefully given to us while we were in the middle of our worst sin. It is a love that provides an invitation to ‘anyone’ who is searching.

As a people we tend to gravitate to the common, to the comfortable and we tend to ‘hang’ where everyone else is hanging. There is a road that leads to destruction and ‘many’ have found that road. There is also another road. That road is not as common and only a few find it. It is not hidden, in fact that road is accessible to everyone.

Have you been to NYC? Then you have been to Times Square and The Empire State Building. Perhaps you have been to the World Trade Center, the economic capital of the world. You have taken in a Broadway Show and you have shopped ‘til you dropped. That is what everyone does that comes to NYC. Even New Yorkers know the ‘city’ for such events. Yet in the middle of all of this culture, there exists the most amazing place in the city. I would estimate less than ½ % of the population of NYC has ever even been there.

This place is new. It is called the High Line. It starts at 14th Street and goes all the way to 34th Street. It is a cultural and serene walkway above the city tracing what used to be the west side elevated train. It is amazing. Once you have been there, you don’t want to leave. It is cool. It is quiet. It is serene. It is cultural. It is even ‘clean.’

O Taste and See that the Lord is good! Once you have tasted the High Line in NYC you will understand what I am talking about. Exotic plants have been placed along this walkway. Creative ‘nooks’ have been well planned. One nook has a group of artists painting what God has placed in their hearts. One nook has a cellist playing solo, lost in his world. Friends walk hand in hand, people are gathered and enjoying conversation. Unlike the streets below, the High Line is clean and unpolluted. You feel like you are in a different world.

Have you booked your flight to NYC? Have you mapped out your journey to this marvelous place? Truly, it is as beautiful as I have described. It wont cost you a dime to enjoy this marvelous journey. It is your choice to experience this man made and God inspired haven.

Here is the amazing thing. It is found right in the middle of extreme decadence. Sin abounds. But where sin abounds, GRACE abounds more. It is not only possible it is by God’s design that we ‘remain’ in the middle of this decadence and yet hold our ground and keep our focus on the God of Grace and mercy, who gives us the strength to be ‘in it’ but not ‘of it.’

Hey not everything below is bad either. While the things above are eternally better, we flesh out our lives on the streets below. While below, make sure you are pointing people to a different road. A better road. Enjoy the things of this ‘world’ that are temporal and good, but know the difference between good and great.

Take a walk. Don’t take it alone. Take someone with you. And after your amazing walk. STOP! Smell the roses. Process. On 14th Street there is an amazing burger establishment called Bill’s. Have a burger and a beer…or if the beer is too much for you to process, make it a root beer.

Thank God that He gave you the opportunity to have a relationship with Him. Thank Jesus for making this “gift’ of eternal life and the opportunity to be adopted in to the family of God, whereby you can call God…FATHER! It’s your choice. Will you be ‘one’ of the few that choose to climb the stairs and experience the High Line.