Pastor Speaks
March 26, l998
Dr. Keith Wagner
St. Paul’s United Church of Christ


Recently I was driving on interstate 75 when I was passed by a mini-van. I was going about 70 miles per hour and the driver of the min-van was going about 80. This is not unusual on the interstate since cars often pass us by at higher speeds. However, the driver of the mini-van was apparently a member of an old religious order. It appeared that way since she was wearing a little white bonnet on the back of her hair. I found it very ironic that this woman of faith was able to exceed the speed limit but was still living under the confine of an old religious custom. It reminds me how we are able to change in some ways but resistant to change in others. Could it be that our driving habits may be a reflection of our faith?

I am sure that at one time you have approached a red light wanting to make a right turn. However, there is one car ahead of you, with their right turn signal on, but waits for the light to turn green. If you are like me you get very frustrated since you know you can turn "right on red". But since the person in front of you is unwilling to make the turn you are stuck. They are obviously unaware that the law has changed. They are driving with old assumptions and outdated rules. People of faith who refuse to use updated translations of the Bible or continue outdated practices, like refraining from ordaining women ministers, are like those folks who won’t make a "right turn on red." Their faith is conditioned by customs and policies rather than by a faith in a loving God. Like Jesus said, "What’s more important, keeping the rules of the Sabbath, or extending a loving hand to someone in need?"(Luke l3:15-16)

Suppose you are approaching a stop sign and begin to slow down, as you should, but you are forced to stop short of the designated place. This happens since a car, which is coming from your right, is making a left turn but cuts the turn too close and forces you to stop prematurely. In other words, they are taking more than their share of the road. They have no regard for other cars in the intersection and they look at you as if to say, "Why are you in my way?" These folks drive as if no neighbors exist. They are very self-absorbed and don’t care about others. Their driving habits do not reflect the timeless "Golden Rule", which is to "love one’s neighbor as thyself." (Mark 12:31)

One of my pet peeves are drivers who can’t make a left turn. They are the ones who hesitate from pulling into the center of the intersection. They hold back, waiting for all traffic to stop, rather than ease out, making their turn when the way is clear. These folks are afraid and insecure. They may even be unwilling to take risks. They are like the disciples, who in their early days lacked faith to believe and do the things that Jesus encouraged them to do. Or perhaps they were never taught how make a left turn in the first place. It’s kind of like the people of faith who ignore continuous instruction and nurture. They think they know enough when its obvious they lack basic tools of learning. Somehow, we have the idea that learning ends with Sunday School. But in reality, learning is a life-long process.

Our daughter once made an observation about who has the right-a-way at a four-way stop. I said, "The first to arrive and the one to your right." "Wrong," she said. "It’s the driver of the pickup truck." After that I started counting the number of times that pick-up trucks assume the lead at four-way stops. And sure enough, she was right. Is it because they are the ones who are working and have more important things to do? Perhaps. Or is it because they are bigger, tougher and stronger? I don’t really know, but if "the meek shall inherit the earth," these drivers are going to miss the highway to heaven. These drivers may have no fear but they are ignoring an important attribute of faith which is the whole concept of being a servant. "If any one would be first, he(she) must be last of all and servant of all." (Mark 9:35)

Then there’s the driver who drinks. I don’t think I need even comment on this subject. Paul said that "A little use of wine is good for the stomach."(I Timothy 5:23) But then automobiles didn’t exist in his time. God only knows what trouble a drunken camel driver would cause. It is also said that "It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of God." (Matt. l9:24) Just change a few nouns and you can make your own response to the faith of those who drink and drive.

When you drive on the interstate highway you may be the one who always drives the speed limit. That is because you are a good citizen who always observes the rules. But what if everyone else is doing 70? You become a hazard to all the other vehicles on the road. Does that make them right? No, of course not. There are simply times when it is safer to "go with the flow", rather than be rigid and inflexible. People who have faith are those who can "go with the flow", cognizant of the rules, but open to change and flexible in the presence of danger. They trust in the presence of God on every journey and they give the same care and attention to their faith as they do the cars they drive.