High Way
Walking in Taiwan//Advent
After my trip south to Kaohsiung and Taipei, I spent the rest of my time exploring Taipei, a sprawling city of cities. I decided to try the Maokong Gondola, which is both a bit of a tourist feature and actual public transport up the mountain in Neihu district.
The views are stunning up the mountain. And there are a few quiet places where prayers happen. Zhinan Temple. Bishanyan Kaizhang Shengwang Temple. The walks in between.
Isaiah 40:3-5
A voice cries out:
“In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord,
make straight in the desert a highway for our God.
Every valley shall be lifted up,
and every mountain and hill be made low;
the uneven ground shall become level,
and the rough places a plain.
Then the glory of the Lord shall be revealed,
and all people shall see it together,
for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.” - NRSVUE
The work is about lifting. Leveling. Making way. What is the highway being built in you?
Note: this is the eighteenth in a series of Advent reflections on my summer 2025 pilgrimage to Taiwan. I’ll lean on photos from my trip to carry us, though you’ll find some short writing and some songs to guide you through the season. I hope you’ll consider making a contribution to Taiwan Episcopal Church (you may need to translate the webpage and will need to convert your contribution to New Taiwan Dollars).
A bit about me: I am a seminarian, teacher, and community builder rooted in the Episcopal tradition. After many years as a theatre professor and artistic leader, I am exploring how beauty, ritual, and relationship help people recover their humanity and their hope. Here on Controlled Burn, I write on formation, belonging, and the slow, never-ending work of becoming.