The Ride

Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might; for there is no activity or planning or knowledge or wisdom in Sheol where you are going. - Ecclesiastes 9:10

By all accounts I’ve lived a pretty full life. I’ve seen fourteen different countries, been through war, been held prisoner, worked on the docks, in a kennel, in logging, been a carpenter, served in the Marines, fought professionally in full contact mixed martial arts, bungee jumped, parachuted, parasailed, rappelled…I’ve adopted five kids, worked with gangs, had a street kids ministry, taught in a parochial school, and presently pastor a thriving rural church.

I’ve gone looking for Trouble, found him and beat him up. Then I went out with his sister and charmed his mom into liking me. I have consistently tried to do four different things at once (even though I barely have enough brain cells for two). And you know what? I think that’s the Christian Way.

We’ve developed this milk toast view of Christianity as being lukewarm, pale and flabby when our Master was a hard muscled, calloused tough who threw people out of public buildings because He thought they were wrong. Our God drowned the entire human population (save for a couple families that escaped on a floating barn), sent fire down from heaven sufficiently hot to burn stone and evaporate water, and promises to come back with a rod of iron – and we quail to admit we’re Christians to our co-workers.

Where do we get this weak-kneed attitude? Certainly not from Solomon who told us to do whatever comes with all our might (Ecclesiastes 9:10) and to never be idle because we don’t know what lies ahead (Ecclesiastes 11:6). I know it wasn’t Paul’s view when he specifically told us to never lag behind in diligence but to be “fervent in spirit.” This phrase means to be passionate. This from the guy who rose from a pile of stones where he’d been left for dead to walk straight back into the city that had just stoned him! He commanded us to do everything “heartily” (Colossians 3:23). Our Master warned us Christians that if we were lukewarm, He’d spit us out! (Revelation 3:16). We need to decide once and for all who we fear more: men who can only kill our bodies or God who can kill our bodies AND our souls! Then we need to live like it.

A parishioner recently sent me the following statement that pretty much sums it up. “Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and proclaiming, ‘Wow, what a ride!!!!’” And all God’s people say…Amen! Enjoy the ride.