The Meek Will Inherit the Earth

          “People will do things in cars that they’d never do face to face.”

          These are the words of a friend who worked in road construction for many years.  He was describing a general spirit of meanness which people, perturbed by a slow-down in traffic, were apt to exhibit toward each other or the construction crews.  He went on to say that when people get behind the steering wheel of an automobile the standard of human civility and patience seems to drop a significant percentage.

          I remembered his words after my traffic encounter today.  I was on a bicycle climbing the crest of the hill on Hubbard Road in Bethlehem, and just as I began to pick up speed on the other side, someone in a pickup truck passed me and then turned into a side road no more than five feet in front of me.

          I tried to make eye-contact in his rear-view mirror as I lifted up one free hand as if to say, “What?  You couldn’t wait five seconds for me to be out of the way before you made your turn?”

          For his part, he offered me the standard one-finger salute which by now is surely a sign of a lack of imagination, but which implies that either I was in the wrong (which I wasn’t), or he was just plain mean (which I doubt). 

          You see, I suspect here was a man who, when out of his pickup, is a hard worker, a loving husband and father, and a tithing churchman, but something about the anonymity of painted sheet metal and four wheels turned him into someone even he wouldn’t recognize when he looks in the mirror.

          I know that bicycles aggravate people in cars.  Some of my best non-cycling friends have admitted they’d like to get rid of all those people in Lycra shorts and rainbow-colored jerseys.  The typical complaint is that cyclists slow the traffic and don’t we all know that everyone is always in a hurry.  And, yes, I know that some cyclists are rather arrogant or cavalier on their steeds.  My apologies, but maybe we’d all be better off if we all slowed down.  Apparently, moving fast in cars hasn’t made us a kinder, gentler species.  In my experience, cars just make us all more short-tempered and less tolerant of each other, although my life as a cyclist has curtailed my bad car habits tremendously.

          But consider this, we’re going to be out of oil in another generation.  Bicycles will start looking pretty good by then.  But, if you haven’t ridden since you were fifteen years old, you might have a hard time getting back on the saddle when you’re eighty.  As for me, I plan to be riding until I can’t get out of a chair by myself.

          I’ll always be cautious around people in cars.  After all, sitting on a twenty pound bike, going fifteen miles per hour, I can’t very well argue with two tons of steel going forty-five or better.  I tend to feel rather meek sitting on the saddle of my Schwinn.  So, pickup truck driver, I’m sure you’re basically a decent guy, but please be a little kinder next time, as a favor to this traveler using a more fragile means of transportation.  And, oh yeah, don’t forget - the meek will inherit the earth.  

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Anything Is Possible

It was a presentation by Richard Dawkins that caused the phrase, “anything is possible,” to stick in my head.  Dawkins is a world-renowned scientist and militant atheist who has opened many eyes to the wonders of the cosmos, while also decrying the negative influences of religion throughout the history of humankind.

I am enthralled with Dawkins’ explanations of how the physical world works, but find him surprisingly unsophisticated in his understanding of metaphysics – he sees the dark underbelly of religion but fails to see its beauty, goodness, or truth – which seems very “unscientific” a position to take.

In any case, as Dawkins once described the subatomic world with the phrase, “anything is possible,” my eyes were re-opened to the wonders of the universe that God has made.  Contrary to Dawkins intention, “anything is possible,” opens the door to all sorts of miracles.  By faith I had always assumed that God could do anything, but when a celebrated scientist confirmed the endless possibilities that exist in creation, I had to pause in awe of a God who indeed made a world in which “anything is possible.”  The blind may see, the lame walk, stormy seas grow calm, and stony hearts become tender.  Miracles happen. 

More recently, I was attending a retreat in which the leader, Nicole Greer, asked us to draw a line representing the continuum of our lives, and then to mark an “X” where we thought we were in our lives.  The participants were of different ages, so our “X’s” were in different places, but I was estimating that I had another 35 years or so left in my life.  And then Nicole said, “What can you do in 35 years?”  And I couldn’t help responding, “Almost anything.”  Anything is possible.  I have worked as a pastor for almost 29 years.  So, what could I do with another 35 years?  Well, almost anything is possible. 

I was amazed at how that simple exercise opened my eyes to how many open doors I might still go through.  In 35 years I could even go back to school and learn something completely new.  In 35 years I could learn how to build cedar strip canoes and kayaks (a secret yearning).  In 35 years I could mentor or tutor several children who are struggling in school.  In 35 years, wow!  Anything is possible.

I suspect most of us live with the sense that each passing year closes more doors and limits our options more and more, so that we begin to feel hemmed in by our limitations (speaking metaphysically – our mortality).  But Nicole Greer and Richard Dawkins helped me see that there is no need to feel such constraints.  We are free to choose a new path.  The door is open.  Anything is possible.

It's Good Work If You Can Get It

“Living on the surface and in the present bereft of strong echoes of the past, we are (occasionally) happy, but rarely truly joyous.” --- Miroslav Volf

Everybody wants to be happy.  We live in a country where the pursuit of happiness is written into our DNA – the pursuit, but not necessarily the attainment.

I want to be happy.  I want my wife to be happy, and my children.  Why, I want everyone to be happy.  If only there were a formula we could follow, or an elixir we could drink, or . . . wait a minute . . . Every book store has a section of shelves filled with books that promise just such a formula for happiness.  Countless substances we ingest or drink, we do so in hopes of a buzz of happiness.  But if there was a formula or substance that worked, don’t you suppose we would have found it by now?

Might I suggest a different pursuit?  Instead of seeking after what makes you happy, which at most is a fleeting experience, why not pursue something else?  Like love.  Like service to others.  It is simple really.

As an experiment, spend a day seeking, not your own satisfaction, but the satisfaction of your spouse.  Spend a week affirming the work of your colleagues rather than tooting your own horn.  Spend a Saturday doing what your children want to do instead of hauling them around with your own agenda.  Instead of watching tired reruns at the end of the day, write some notecards of appreciation to your elderly relatives. 

All of these suggestions are not about the pursuit of happiness, at least not for yourself.  But don’t be surprised if you find something better as a result – joy.

The quote above by Miroslav Volf, suggests that happiness is superficial, but that joy is deep - built through the richness of experience.  Our circumstances can change in the blink of an eye, but if there is depth to our lives, relationships that have lasted through years and decades, then joy might be possible no matter what our circumstances.  I believe in living fully in the present moment, but this moment is enriched by my past experiences, particularly through the relationships I have had.  And the anticipation of those relationships continuing into the future are an additional blessing that can sustain and encourage joy, no matter what my outward circumstances might be.

Better than happiness, I wish you joy.  And joy comes from nurturing relationships that last through time.  This is nothing new.  There is no secret formula, nor elixir. 

Huey Lewis and The News sang, 

“I want a new drug . . . one that makes me feel like I feel when I’m with you.”  

You see?  Relationship.  That’s what matters, and that’s what leads to joy.

Relationships take work, I know, but as David Wilcox says, “It’s good work, if you can get it.”