From Damascus to Antioch…with a Stop at Burger King

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Some journeys line up so neatly you almost have to laugh.

This desert run east—leaving Barstow, skirting the Mojave, and aiming toward Henderson—lands on King’s Day, Dolly Parton’s birthday, and just after a final, quiet visit to Loretta’s grave. If that weren’t enough symbolism for one tank of gas, there’s also the very real possibility that I’ll mark the occasion by stopping at Burger King.

Which feels… oddly appropriate.

Paul once escaped Damascus by being lowered in a basket over the city wall—no fanfare, no applause, just discernment and timing:

“I was lowered in a basket through a window in the wall and escaped from his hands.”
—2 Corinthians 11:33

It wasn’t cowardice. It was wisdom.

This drive feels like that kind of obedience. Not dramatic. Not loud. Just the clear sense that staying would cost more than moving on. Thirty-five minutes on the road, a pause, water, breath—then forward again. Sometimes survival itself is faithfulness.

Paul didn’t build the future in Jerusalem. He found it in Antioch—a border city, a mixed city, a place where faith learned to stretch. Henderson feels like that kind of place. Not the center of spectacle, but near enough to matter. A city where you can breathe, listen, and prepare for what’s next.

Damascus is behind. Antioch is ahead.

Martin Luther King Jr. taught that movements are sustained not just by speeches, but by endurance—long obedience in the same direction. That wisdom pairs well with the Blue Zone way of life: move naturally, rest often, don’t let stress harden the heart.

Which brings us—inevitably—to Burger King.

There’s something gently absurd and deeply human about honoring King’s Day with a Whopper on a desert highway. King dreamed of dignity for everyday people. Paul escaped so he could keep serving ordinary communities. Dolly Parton has shown us that kindness can be practical, joyful, and persistent.

A quick burger eaten slowly, with gratitude, somewhere between California and Nevada? That’s not disrespect. That’s incarnation.

The visit to Loretta’s grave wasn’t an ending; it was a handoff. Love doesn’t stay put. It travels with you, settles where you settle, and teaches you when to pause and when to move.

So the border approaches. The wall is behind me. The basket has done its work.

And if the journey includes a stop at Burger King—well, even apostles had to eat.

Sometimes the holiest thing you can do on a sacred day is keep moving, take a break when you need it, and trust that grace meets you—even under fluorescent lights off I-15.

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• Faith & the Road
• Blue Zone Living
• Scripture & Life
• MLK Day
• Transitions
• Desert Notes

Pray for me as I make my way to Vegas to turn Sin City into Salvation City and launch Jesus Revolution 2026…

X marks the spot.
Here. Now. With whoever is in front of us.

HOME = safety, food, clothing, shelter.
Transit PASS. Toilet Paper. Mercy.
Forgive minor trespasses.

Start small. Stay human.
Love still works—one person at a time.

#XMarksTheSpot #HOME #MercyWorks #Vegas

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