For me, like many of us, it started at a young age. First it was Bill
Moore’s mini-bike with a 5hp Tecumseh motor, riding all the back streets of
Scotch Plains to visit girls, impress boys, and upset the cops. Then it was
Ricky’s Honda 50, with a shifter, but no clutch. Almost a motorcycle. Then
riding BH’s CL77, with all the 305cc’s propelling us out of town, and riding at
breakneck speeds. Then my first, a CB350, and many more to follow. BMW’s of
600-750-900, then 1000cc’s, and finally the FJ1100-wow! If a Sportster had once
been described as putting hair on your chest, I must have been covered when
riding Bouke’s Z-1 with the Yoshimura kit. But as I got older, and the cc’s
increased, so did the speed, and the need to go faster. And soon motorcycles
were hitting the famed 100hp per litre, 62 cubic inches for you Harley types.
And today even 600cc sport bikes have well over 125hp, the latest Daytona 675 I
rode had 128! Where will it all end? I have even ridden several 2300cc
Rockets! Is there no substitute for cubic inches? Is there no replacement for
displacement? And as we see things changing, I look at my wife’s first bike,
and her second. No 50cc learning here, she took the MSF course of 250 Rebels,
then her first bike, a 790cc Bonneville. Today she is like so many others,
starting at sizes that we once dreamed of. So where do you go to get your speed
fix?
No one wakes up one morning and sets out to fail, or even be mediocre. Yet
failure is more common than success anymore. Just listen to the headlines,
daily police shootings, crime out of control, schools not safe, and gas prices
going up, and up, and up...And with the Federal government following the world’s
lead and rushing to fiscal oblivion, some wonder why it happened? And so
quickly. But it didn’t, like those of us who started small and ended up on
bigger cc’s, the signs have been there. So either they were ignored, laws
changed so that crimes aren’t felonies anymore, but only misdemeanors. Have a
car accident in Escondido? Don’t call 911 unless you are hurt, they will not
respond, or even write a report. So I know the answer, more laws. Makes sense,
except when the current ones cannot be enforced, what will more laws do? John
Lennon’s murderer broke over 70 existing, would 71 have prevented it? Maybe 72,
82, or 102? So we write more laws, and things only get worse. Do we see a
correlation here? Is more law the answer to crime? More cc’s may have made us
faster for awhile, but the engineers got smarter. So did the crooks. Did you
know in California you can commit manslaughter and be out of jail in less than
seven years? More laws, more crime, more confusion, and it goes on and on...And
so as we look to the government and politicians to rescue us, the answer seems
to escape them. Nothing new, so what is the replacement for displacement? Are
more cc’s the answer, if you can’t ride a 250? The question of the ages, as
things have been the same for some time-maybe the beginning.
And then along comes Jesus. More laws, like more cc’s weren’t the answer.
If people couldn’t keep ten commandments, how could they possibly know the over
600 Mosaic laws? Quick, what are the Ten Commandments? See? And with laws out
of control today, the Department of Justice states there are so many laws that
it is impossible to know them all, but be assured you are breaking some
everyday! Comforting isn’t it? And so along comes Jesus, making it easy for
us. Two laws-one about God, one about you. First-love God first and with all
your heart. In other words, God first! Then love others as yourself. Feel
good about yourself? Notice how it affects how you treat others? Loving God
first will change the attitude to one of love. Simple enough to enact, ask for
forgiveness. Believe in your heart, confess Jesus with your mouth and you are
saved. But...religion is now upset. We need more ways, maybe Jesus isn’t
enough. And if you obey our rules, you will be a better person. So they enact
Jesus and... fill in the blank, and soon you have more laws, less Jesus, more
sin, and less grace. More cc’s but no more power. Forgetting that the key to
power lies in the twist of the wrist. For without control, little power is too
much, and too much is never enough. Why not trust Jesus and have it all when
needed? Quick, a show of hands, who among you wants more laws? More grace?
Laws come with a penalty, grace comes with...more grace. Which shows up in
love, peace, and patience. Followed by self control, how is your throttle
hand? Is it attached to your heart?
And so along comes Jesus, who is love, peace, and patience. Try that one
out on the law. Goodness and kindness. Meekness, mercy, and self control-He
leaves it up to you. Your choice. So do we need more laws, or more Jesus?
Would you rather be hand cuffed or hugged? Hard to ride in cuffs. Where is the
love in that one? No amount of horsepower can overcome that. No matter the
skill level or engine size. And then along comes Jesus...
Meekness is power under control, a steady throttle hand. And it works in
life too, and with others. Can even keep you from breaking the law, and add
grace to your life. Style to your life. More power per cc. Without all the
extra size or extra laws. Makes sense. So why not trust Jesus? Will more laws
get you to heaven? Jesus will. Only a fool would continue to argue that.
Breaking news...Las Vegas, gunfire on the strip, a drive by shooting.
Three dead. Gunmen get away. Now, isn’t shooting people already against the
law? Isn’t murder still illegal? Under grace or under the law? Give me more
grace, I can handle that. If not, I’m willing to try...If not today, then
when? Just like there is no substitute for cubic inches, there is no substitute
for Jesus. No replacement for His displacement. And then along comes
Jesus...
love with compassion,
Mike
matthew25biker.blogspot.com