Traffic can bring out the best and worst of humanity. Courtesy clashes with impatience – sometimes literally. You see the sign indicating that one lane is closed ahead. How many cars do you let in? If you’re in the wrong lane, do you go up as far as you can, trusting that some kind soul will let you in at the last moment? Our driving style can be a strong indicator of our personality, or at least our state of mind. We assert or deny ourselves. If your driving style is one-way, meaning I don’t care about you, I’m going to get ahead, it gets ugly (“road rage”). We are flawed individuals driving in two-way traffic. When we take the next step, yielding, giving up our own right-of-way, we show that we are Christians by our love. Bumper stickers can tell a lot, until the one with the Christian bumper sticker cuts you off. It’s like someone wearing a cross necklace mouthing off to a retail clerk.

If we would follow our Leader Jesus, we would deny our “right-of-way” and take up our cross. Christ came to us by yielding his right-of-way. This is the heart of the Gospel. Our spirits yearn for the Holy Spirit. Our hearts cry out for the living God. When we are distracted, angry, or in a hurry, demonic driving – and living – can grab a foothold. Our foot gets heavier on the accelerator; we become “road-raged”; we lose sight of the kingdom of God. We crash. Self-denial, self-sacrifice could make the roadways of our lives much more pleasant to navigate. Practice a “Sunday drive” approach. Marvel at what’s around you, while also keeping your mind on the road. We must follow, yield, merge, signal, and keep both hands on the wheel.

I thank God for the gift of metaphor, which sometimes I go a little too far with! It just proves that even in a modern world that the people who wrote the Bible could never have imagined, we can connect to what God would have us learn and apply to our driven lives. I thank God that He loves me unconditionally, even on my worst days behind the wheel.

Pastor Art