Tuesday, November 19, 2013

the parable of the garbageman-what has 4 wheels and flies?










Even trash collecting has gone hi-tech.  As I remember growing up, it was always two men rolling two huge trash barrels across back yards, no curb service then, and trash cans were metal, then dumping them into the truck, pushing a button and watching it all get crushed.  A fun job we all thought, and these guys were fast, and thorough.  And friendly, too.  I can remember them waiting while my mother got an extra box, and being courteous to her.  A far cry from watching the trash man now sitting in his truck, and having an arm come out and extend itself around the standardized trash barrel, then dumping it overhead, all without leaving his cab.  Except to place a note on your barrel that you put in bad trash, or too much or didn’t place it at least 24” from another barrel.  And heaven help the person who expects them to pick up what they drop, not his job I guess.  And I miss the old time trash man, and the joke of “$20 a week and all you can eat.”  Hi tech, low interaction, welcome to the future, except it is here now.
I first got my license in 1971, and starting a car required more than just turning the key, and texting a friend to brag about your accomplishment.  Push down on the gas pedal twice to activate the choke, turn the key, but never more than ten seconds, it would run down the battery, then sit and wait while it warmed up enough to be driven away.  A far cry from turn key and point and steer.  And before CV carbs on bikes, it was depress the button to flood the carb with gas, no lights to go on when it was, your wet foot soaked with gas was all you needed to know.  Then pull in clutch, kick through and then kick start-usually on the second try, or your plans were to change for the rest of the day.  Fortunately electric starters changed all that, except for the wet foot part.  And even on my first car bought in high school, a 1969 BMW 1600, back when BMW had an identity problem, B stands for British what?, it had a hand choke, that you learned to work, and start the car easily.  So many things once done by hand, now done by a computer for us, maybe progress was a good thing, it just went on too long.  But we had a relationship with our cars and bikes, and even our garbage man, a far cry from today.  Remember the old joke, what has 4 wheels and flies?  A garbage truck....
Now I am not anti-computer, except when it crashes unexpectedly and takes all my work with it.  Why can’t they work as well as they do in cars, where they are subjected to cold, wind, rain, and bumps in the road, let alone the nut behind the wheel?  But many things done by computer have been money and time saving-take paper for instance.  Remember all the paper it was going to save, except now we need backups on guess what-paper.  They will save us time, “if only I could remember the password I used this time.”  I’m not sure if Windows shuts me and provides a way out.  But one thing it has accomplished, you be the judge, is it has allowed many to go online for church.  But it also has kept many out of church, when going on line.  Missing the fellowship, worship, and interaction with others.  Greeting friends and praying with them, asking the pastor a question, or finding out how such and such is doing, we miss them.  All nice and sanitary behind a screen,church without going to church, and neglecting to remember that we are the church.  Can’t upset anyone if you aren’t there, and you can fall asleep, and catch it later on line.  A whole relationship with God and His people, all just a right click away...And how about communion, how do I do that online? 
I also miss the turning of pages in church, a good and healthy sound showing interest and concern.  Today as I watch i-pads replacing i-phones, their large screen lights up the area, and I can watch what they are watching... being distracted by them...yes progress was a good thing, it has just gone on too long.  But that is just us, I hear, and some truth to that.  As I visited with Brother Andrew’s ministry, we were told of the persecution in North Korea and China and India of Christians.  Just owning or getting caught with a Bible is death or prison.  But yet how without the written word, obviously no i-pads, that a single page taken from a torn up Bible brings life to them.  How one page from Acts, read over and over has given them life in Jesus, without benefit of any other Bible or pages from one.  And how it gets passed around, even torn into pieces and shared, lest they get caught with it.  Willing to serve Christ and face death over one page in the Bible...and we can’t even get out to church?
And so the many take refuge in God via the Holy Spirit, who is always with them.  He gives them insight, words, and the Word...which God says is written on our hearts by Him.  For over 2000 years a way the persecuted church has kept in touch each other...and still is today.  But it can never happen to us can it?  Maybe it has already....
We have isolated ourselves from each other, and it isn’t good.  God still works in ways mysterious to us, but still loves to use that one on one ministry to grow us closer to Him.  The world of your testimony, and His blood are all it takes, and nothing beats a hug or a loving embrace.  Nothing beats seeing a life changed in real life vs. real time.  How many hug your computer, does it hug back?  My friends at church do...and I love to hear their testimonies.  So don’t let the evolution of trash removal and of starting a car interfere with you and God.  Go to church, we are the church, and quit hiding behind a screen.  Imagine prayer life if God answered “press 1 for yes, press 2 for no.”  And then being placed on hold!  Very personal isn’t it?  Or do you already face God each day that way?  Make it personal today...get to know Him, and get out among His people.  Fellowship, pray together, and worship-wherever 2 or 3 are gathered in the name of Jesus He is among them.  Try that on Facebook-and they call it social engineering?  W need Holy Spirit engineering, available at the foot of the cross...it is that personal. 
Joe Stalin once bragged that if you gave him a generation, he would change the world.  Look at Russia and Communism today.  What if we are that generation sold out to Christ, the last generation, someone will be, why not us?  Give God your heart today, make it personal.  NO right clicking gospel, but one of love and forgiveness.  Try that one next time your lap top dances away...forgiving?  No downloads at the cross-time well spent.  Maybe that is why we look back so fondly to a time without computers, we were a part of it.  But unlike 40 years ago, we have an off button...don’t be afraid to use, and turn onto Jesus.  Call it the parable of the garbage man, who once provided service to your door and today won’t even get out of his truck to help.  20 bucks a week and all you can eat...if Jesus fed the 5000 with two loaves, imagine what He can do for you.  High interaction and low tech-it is written...anything man can do, God will do better. 
love with compassion,
Mike
matthew25biker.blogspot.com