Tuesday, February 14, 2006

Speeding for Jesus

(I've decided I'm not going to write about my own life so much or what I'm feeling but more on observations, at least on this page)

Driving downtown (Austin) today on the Freeway (I-35...which I call "the Freeway"...mabye because everyone else calls it 35 and it's my statement of distain for the modern world...or I just like the word freeway...yea...that's it...it's a nice word...nice and free, in a way). On the way there (and back) from my comfortable place in San Marcos I noticed four distinct times where people were speeding in a reckless way. Now...everyone under the age of 70 speeds at some point on 35 (which ironically, has a speed limit of 70)...the flow of traffic usually hovering between 80 and 85. However, there is a differece between speeding and speeding with a reckless disreguard for human life (driving much faster than the flow of traffic and changing lanes unnessicarily in an agressive way). One of those drivers was a guy in a rather large black truck...I passed him, then minutes later he suddently decided he wanted to go over 100 miles per hour for some reason, so he sped by me dangeriously, weaved though traffic that was already going over 80, and disapeared into a thoughtless (not a random use of that word) oblivion. Naturally, I must give him the benifit of the doubt (parenthetical reference), perhaps his friend called to tell him that H-E-B was putting Bud Light on sale and he was rushing there so he could drink then and then litter his neighborhood with the empty cans the next day...or his water broke...which would have been distubing but probably would have made him famous.

You've already forgotten about the other three cars that I mentioned. There were three other cars, this is your reminder. Anyway what stood out about each of those cars was the shiny metallic fish symbol promenently placed on the back of each car. Three of the four cars driving in the most reckless and agressive way were advertising Christianity. Now don't get me wrong, I know that nothing says "Jesus loves you" more than tailgating someone until you find an open space slightly larger than your car to squeeze though and pass that person in such a way that they're sure to notice your religious affiliation and move them one step closer to Atheism. Not that this is the biggest problem in the perception of Christianity by the general public...but it is a microcosm of the problem. It is also the main reason why I refused from the start to attach a fish to my car.

My driving doesn't exactly reflect Christlike principles and in addition to that fact, I'm the person with a soul, not my car. The comment is sometimes made that aliens observing our planet mistaking automobiles as the dominant species. But not only that, they would probably notice that the cars in North America have a dominant fish worshipping religion and that those cars are always in a hurry because by being in a hurry they bring glory to the shiny metal fish in the great ocean.

My point is that in so many ways people wear religion on their sleeves (or their bumpers) while the rest of the shirt is in tatters and the glaring divide between what we say we are and what we truly are is only going to harm us in the long run. So take the fish off your car and examine the truth and the reasons behind your beliefs instead of throwing them on like the shirt on your floor that doesn't smell as bad as the other ones...don't worry, you won't go to hell for doing so, allthough some aliens might think that your car will.

1 comment:

Sean Raybuck said...

hey great post man. well written and good observations