Abandoned Places

by PJ Keen,  May 26, 2026

Abandoned places have always fascinated me.

Recently, my family and I were walking around our Airbnb when I found an old, abandoned-looking trail. I followed it until it led to a forgotten water-system cave overlooking the city (pictured). As I stood there, I couldn’t stop thinking about how someone, maybe even an entire team, once poured time, effort, and purpose into building it. At one point, it mattered deeply. People maintained it. Used it. Walked through it regularly.

Now it just sits there, slowly forgotten.

There is something deeply human about existing without truly living.

That moment made me think about the words of Paul in Scripture: “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.” (2 Corinthians 5:17)

Outside of Christ, people can still function, work, laugh, succeed, and survive, but spiritually, they are simply existing. The shell is there, but the life God intended feels abandoned or disconnected from its purpose.

But the Gospel changes people.

I’ve seen it happen. I’ve watched bitterness turn into grace. Hopeless people find joy. Addictions lose their grip. Hearts come alive. The person is still themselves, but something inside them has been made new.

Maybe that’s why abandoned places affect me so much. They whisper reminders:

“We were built for something.”

“We can have purpose."

“Only Jesus can transform people.”

And the Gospel answers with hope:

“Restoration is possible, through Jesus alone.”