Georgetown to Mount Pleasant, South Carolina 57.5 miles (92.6 km) - Ride the Line

"God grades us on the cross, not the curve." The Trinity Lutheran Church sign as I was leaving Georgetown was thought provoking.  I think what they are trying to convey is that Jesus died for all of us, not some of us. The whole "grades us" concept is a bit judgemental though, especially when I consider God's unconditional love. Too many churches try to scare people into their doors by the judgement and damnation narratives versus unconditional love and salvation messages.

There's only two small towns, McClellanville and Awendaw, between Georgetown and Mount Pleasant. Highway 17 passes through part of the massive Francis Marion National Forest. At about 9:30 this morning, I passed the Buck Hall Campground of the National Forest. I camped there in during the bicycle tour of 1986, just days after having been assaulted in Virginia. Today, I was struck by how much of the route I don't recall 27 years later. I think that this is related to the massive efforts of repressing the event.

There was no shoulder along Highway 17 until I reached the Charleston County line, where the narrow shoulder also sported a rumple strip or clumps of grass that made riding on it challenging. Once the city boundary for Mount Pleasant was crossed, the shoulder disappeared again.

"Walk close to God so nothing can come between." This sign seemed very to the point when I considered the narrow gap between traffic speeding past me and the side of the road that I tightroped.

I passed a lot of those small "Jesus Saves" signs at homes and churches along my route. I do find it interesting that the "Saves" message has endured more than any other attribute of Christ's life. Christ was a teacher, leader, healer and embodied unconditional love. Maybe the word 'Saves' is meant to convey all that Christ is and not just the you-better-believe-or-you're-damned end of life salvation message that many Churches rely on to keep the seats filled. Regardless, I'm thankful for my relationship with God.