On my drive home, I often find myself looking at the passengers in the oncoming traffic. I know, I should be watching the road, 10 and 2, the whole bit, but I can’t resist the prospect of seeing someone I know, or catching someone picking their nose. Gross, yes, but very real. If they’re not picking their nose, they may be playing on their phone, or downing a Big Mac. The worst is when they’re doing the same thing that I’m doing, and we lock eyes for that one fleeting moment of creepiness.
Because I’m veiled behind the veneer of shatterproof glass, I think that I am invincible. I can do what I please, and no one is any the wiser (except for the guy staring back at me). I can judge at will, I can jeer at will; I can do as I please, thanks to the safety glass between us.
My fear is that I do this more often than just in driving. I put up my little safeguards, I give my pat answers, and the “oncoming traffic” of those that I interact with are none the wiser. It’s enjoyable without being vulnerable. It’s diversionary without being deep. In a word, it’s inauthentic.
I don’t want to do that anymore. I’ve grown weary of keeping up appearances. I’m too old for it, quite honestly. If you don’t like what you see, then look away. Take it up with The Manufacturer. In other words, pray for me, even as you judge me. And, don’t get me wrong. I realize that our culture is inebriated with being authentic and vulnerable. Unfortunately, it’s often at the expense of being civil. You don’t get to play the jerk in the guise of being authentic. There is a Code by which we each must live, even if we have tried to dispense with it all.
In other words, I’d rather approach life from the two wheels of a motorcycle than the four of a sedan. I’m talking wind-in-the-face, bugs-in-the-teeth open road hogging. And, no, I’m not a biker, so if that usage was incorrect, forgive me. I realize there’s more risk involved with a Harley, because you’re exposed more, but isn’t that the point? Shouldn’t we be able to be transparent, and trust that even if another “motorist” does bring us harm, that the Lord Jesus Christ will always bring us healing? I mean, really. Even if the other guy finds out your deepest and most depraved secret, was there really any loss other than to your pride? And don’t we want to be rid of that? This is where true humility lies.
So, however you travel, do it lightly. Keeping your baggage stowed away in the far reaches of the minivan will only slow you down. Hit the open road with nothing but your story, and The One Who wrote it. He wants to take you down paths that you’ve never been, but He’s not gonna until you let Him have all of you, without farce or facade. Quit posing, and start living, for the joy of the Lord and the love of the ride.
To Go and Make Disciples 