U-Turn

Back in 2017, when I was new to New York, I was driving to Brooklyn one afternoon and was about to enter the Brooklyn Tunnel. You know how sometimes they open the opposite side to ease traffic? The cones had been moved. The entrance looked open. It seemed convenient. So I started to drive in.

But something didn’t feel right. It was too quiet. No cars. No movement. I slowed down. And then I heard a traffic controller shouting behind me, “Stop! Stop! Turn around! Come back!”

I was going the wrong way, straight toward danger.

That moment has stayed with me because that’s what the Gospel calls repentance. The Greek word in the original text is “Metanoia”, which means a change of mind, a change of direction. It means turning around.

Great Lent is called a Season of Repentance. Sometimes that word sounds heavy. It can make you think of guilt, shame, and regret. But repentance is not about beating yourself up. It’s not about walking around condemned. It is about recognizing that we are heading the wrong way and choosing to turn before we cause harm to ourselves or others.

In life, the wrong road often looks wide open. It feels convenient. Everyone else seems to be driving that way. On the outside, those roads look normal. But inside, they leave you drained, restless, and empty.

The grace of God is that He does not wait silently at the end of the road. He speaks along the way. Deep within us, the Holy Spirit whispers, “Slow down. Turn around. Come back.” And the Lord assures us, “Return to Me, for I have redeemed you” (Isaiah 44:22).

Some people think they have gone too far. They think, “I’ve made too many mistakes. I’ve missed too many turns.” But you are never one turn away from God’s mercy. You can change direction at any moment. You don’t have to wait for a crisis. You don’t have to wait until everything falls apart.

So, “today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts” (Psalm 95:7–8). If you sense God whispering today, do not ignore it. Slow down. Turn around. There is a better road ahead. And when you walk that road with God, it will always lead you to life.