Turning the Corner

I have ridden motorcycles for about 60 years. It started on a camping trip with some family friends who had a mini-bike. It was homemade, with a 3 hp lawnmower engine. I watched the bigger kids ride (I was only about 9 at the time) and it looked so incredibly fun. The oldest boy asked if I would like to take it for a ride around the campground (a paved road that circled the campsites). I couldn’t believe they were going to let me try! I can still close my eyes and feel the throbbing of the motor in the handlebars, hear the sound of the chug, chug, chug and the sound of the chain going round and round as I made my way along. A lifetime passion was ignited that day… 60+ years and several motorcycles later, it still causes my my face to break into a huge smile each time I take my bike out for a ride.

There is a spiritual connection between riding a motorcycle and living life as a follower of Jesus. Both require faith, trust & risk, and both offer a measure of joy that far too many have never experienced. People who have never ridden cannot fathom why anyone in their “right mind” would risk their lives for a ride on a motorcycle. They view riding as a form of foolishness and recklessness. However, once persuaded to trust the rider and go for a short spin feeling the wind, the motion of leaning into corners and the thrill of moving along without a cage surrounding them, most (not all) begin to enjoy an understanding of the pleasure that riders experience.

Trusting Jesus and committing to a life of following him isn’t an exact parallel, but there are a number of similarities. That commitment requires trust, faith and risk, and many who have never made that commitment cannot imagine why anyone would put their trust in a God they cannot “see.” Once they make the decision and begin to experience the peace, joy and yes… freedom from all they once thought of as constraining they begin to understand the joy and wholeness that Christ followers have discovered.

Another important parallel is that of being forward focused. On a motorcycle is imperative to keep ones eyes focused on the line one wants to follow. In a curve or corner, a rider must look thru the corner to where he/she intends to go. Looking directly in front of the bike, to the left, to the right or focusing on what is behind can be disastrous. In the Gospels, Jesus again and again calls to us, “follow me.” Following Jesus will at times be scary as he often calls us to places and experiences we tend to avoid. But the thrill, the joy of obedience always results in a reset of our walk of faith. Eventually we begin to experience anticipation instead of anxiousness as he calls us to a new level of trust. I am so glad he calls us to lives of adventure.

“Just as I can’t help but break into a grin each time I take the bike out for a ride, I can’t help being filled with joy seeing the fruit in the lives of those who have put their trust in Him. “I have come that you might have life and have it to the full.” Jn 10:10

It’s a beautiful day out… where’s my key?

Tim