Vegas, Baby! 😉👍

The ONLY reason that I would ever go to Las Vegas is because I knew someone there or I was going to a concert or a show. It’s not that it’s a bad place, it’s just me. As extroverted as I am, Vegas does nothing for me. Some folks like it. For some it’s a destination vacation. Whatever. 

The reason that I am going to Vegas is to see some other parts of my family. I have 2 cousins there. They are related through my maternal grandmother. Val and April are sisters. Their mom, Joan, lives with April. Dale is Val’s husband. Not bad for a bunch of Furman blood. (Furman is my Grandmother’s maiden name). My grandmother’s father (My great grandfather) and Val & April’s grandmother (my great great Aunt Louise) were 1/2 siblings. My Aunt Louise lived in the same neighborhood as I did growing up and I was responsible for cutting her grass. Our family was close. I knew Val & April growing up, but didn’t know them well as they grew up in Santa Monica, CA. They came east to visit on occasion. I saw Val & Dale on my 2017 trip (blog post here). April and their mom just moved to Vegas.

My first tragedy (well, I could have been worse!) was discovered in Las Vegas, NV. Evidently, I picked up a screw in my rear tire. Dale noticed it when I drove into the garage. I called Red Rock Harley Davidson and they worked me in the next day for repair. I decided to have some service done while I was there. While the bike was in the shop we took a drive through Red Rock Canyon. Beautiful place!

I lucked out by not having a blowout which would have been catastrophic! Another saving grace was that I leave on Saturday and was an able to stop by Boulder City, NV to see my friend Beth and her husband Anthony. 

With the bike fixed and clean, I feel more confident about the remaining parts of my journey. It was a joy to see folks in my family that I don’t often see. Connecting with them reminds me of the great family I come from and our many connections around the US.

The question today that kept popping up is, “why the desert?” Of all places to put an adult playground, why put it in the middle of a desert? 🤷‍♂️ The average high temperature for Las Vegas this time of year is 107°. That’s the AVERAGE with one day of rain… DRY and HOT! So, why the desert? I don’t know. There are answers, of course. But I don’t know them.

There are a group of monastics called the “Desert Fathers” who were early Christian hermits and ascetics who lived primarily in the Wadi El Natrun in Egypt around the third century. Why did they choose the desert? I don’t know. Scholars speculate that the wilderness offered a closer connection with God who created everything, even the desert. In early times, demons were thought to have dwelt in the wilderness. The desert was a place of danger with very little water or substance by which to survive. So why the desert? Maybe it was so that they could fully depend on God for their survival. Maybe it was so that they could show that all that God has created is good and suitable. Maybe it was to show that God would provide sustenance and blessing even in the most harsh and challenging circumstances. Whatever the reason, the Desert Fathers and Mothers left their imprint on Christianity, and we can learn a great deal from them. One of my mentors, the Rev. Dr. Elizabeth Canham, wrote a book, A Table of Delight: Feasting with God in the Wilderness. I highly recommend it! It’s available here

Challenge to St. James and Self: Think about what it would be like to be a desert hermit in an age prior to air conditioning. Imagine what it would feel like. Would you be able to endure the conditions and the experience? Where would God be in all of it? When we think about this, we think about other times where life and conditions are challenging and harsh. How do we fully rely on God in those times? 

Laughlin, NV to Las Vegas, NV

Ride: 107 miles