Experiments in Catholicism: Sing a new song unto the road

By Emily E Long

By the grace of God, the sun has once again appeared in Central New York! With pollen in the air, allergy pills on rotation, and air conditioners installed in windows, that can only mean one thing — it’s road work season!

Last summer, I drove through my fair share of road work. What was once my easy 15-minute commute to work became the reason why I had to replace my brake pads last winter. As I would snake my way through the ever-changing traffic patterns, I was on edge and frustrated. Even after I descended from I-81 into the city, I had to endure more roadwork along with daredevil pedestrians. As I pulled into the parking lot of the chancery, I would be frustrated and in such a bad mood. My poor coworkers would have to hear a litany of my complaints as I entered our office.

I knew that there had to be a better solution than raging against other drivers. As Catholics, we always know that there is a better way to approach our struggles — his name is Jesus. We always have the opportunity to be witnesses for Christ, even while driving through the concrete catastrophe that is I-81 construction. The Lord wants not just pieces of our lives, but all of it; we just need to share it with Him. When we let the Lord help us overcome even the smallest and seemingly most insignificant of everyday obstacles, we grow closer to him. It seemed almost silly at first, but I needed the Lord to be with me on the road.

The next day, I put on my worship music playlist before I pulled out of my driveway. As I made my way onto the highway, I felt calmer and more at peace. The lyrics praising God and referencing scripture were different from my usual podcasts or secular music. Although I liked putting on a one-woman show of “Wicked” on my way to work, it wasn’t doing anything other than passing the time. As I neared the construction, I felt more equipped to deal with the chaos.

Later that summer, after hearing from a family friend about the dangerous conditions that the road workers experienced because of the nature of their job, I felt called to pray for the workers as I drove through the work zones, asking for the Lord to protect them as they worked to make the city better.

This didn’t stop after the summer. During the winter, when I was driving through some pretty nasty conditions, I would again turn on my worship music to calm my nerves and help get home safely.

Music that glorifies God and reminds us of His truth does more than make us feel good — it lifts our souls. I might have looked ridiculous behind the wheel of my car, lifting my hands to the worship music, but I didn’t care — my praise is between me and the Lord.   

Experiment of the week: As you drive through the mess that is construction season, hitting one too many potholes, getting cut off by other drivers, try putting on some worship music and praising the Lord through the frustration.

If you are new to Christian music, a few of my favorites are Forrest Frank, Francesca Battistelli, The Hillbilly Thomists, or Rend Collective!