I know I’ve been writing a lot about the Bat Mitzvah (and you’re probably sick of it), so I figured a digression was in order. We normally don’t think about religion when we ride the highways and byways of life, but their numbers often have religious significance to many.
You may have heard of US 666, which has now been renumbered as US 491 because people kept stealing the signs, thinking the route “the devil’s route”. Well there’s another route in the news. I-35.
Citing Isaiah Chapter 35, Verse 8, where it says, “A highway shall be there, and a road, and it shall be called the Highway of Holiness,” folks have started referring to I-35 as a holy highway. Churchgoers in six states transited by the route recently finished 35 days of praying alongside I-35. Why pray? These Christians want to make I-35 “holy”, and overcome some notorious past events along the highways, such as the I-35 bridge collapse in MN and the shooting of Pres. Kennedy in TX. They also prayed that adult businesses along the corridor would “see the light” and perhaps close down. They prayed for safety and freedom from crime for people who lived along the interstate. And, of course, they prayed that all Americans would accept Jesus into their lives.
Sigh.