For the second straight year, Speed Week at the Bonneville Salt Flats has
been cancelled. This barren mecca for land speed record seeking junkies has
been shut down, and deemed unsafe for two or four wheel consumption. Reason,
safety or lack of it. The salt is too soft, or really it has too much moisture
under it, and the hard crust that forms when the water evaporates hasn’t
formed. Tell that one to drought stricken California. Few consider the absence
of water is what brings a hardness to the salt surface, but having walked on
such surfaces, they give an eerie effect when water is present. Think of
walking on a thin crust that shifts under your weight, giving the illusion that
you may fall in, but don’t. Leaving indentations of where you walked, but no
footprints. Strange yes, but some can be 6-8” deep, unsettling at best. And
this year, like last year, the soft salt has given way to cancellation of Speed
Week. And although I have never attended, I have always wanted to go,
especially after watching “World’s Fastest Indian” about Burt Munro. Backed up
by the Rocket 3 powered Triumph racer I have seen at Triumph, the need for speed
makes me want to go fast. And faster. Yet I am on a low salt diet, both food
and Bonneville wise, so I am on an asphalt and concrete supplement, feeding
daily.
0-60, and with the accompanying 1/4 mile times and speeds, we gauge how
fast a car or motorcycle can travel. Even slow economy cars go 0-60 in under 8
seconds today, fast for the horsepower robbed seventies Muscle Cars, and even
comparing the real muscle from the sixties, today’s cars are faster. And
quicker. The new Mustang 6 cylinder is 0-60 in just over 5 seconds, the turbo 4
the same, and the V-8 in just over 4! Less time than it took to read this
sentence. To me that is quick, but nothing compared to today’s motorcycles,
which can rip off 0-60 in under 3 seconds-if you can hang on. Whereas under 15
seconds in the 1/4 was fast, now cars have dipped into the 11’s, once motorcycle
only territory, and the fastest bikes are in the 9’s. Quick, and with a speed
limited 155mph, fast too. But the price for such cars will set you back as much
as my first house, while a motorcycle for under $10,000, way under sometimes,
will get you there quicker.
And speed being relative, how about 0-100 in under 5 seconds? 0-150 in
under 11 seconds? All for the price of a new bike, if you can swing the
payments on a $15,000 note. Try that in your Prius sissy boy! Personally I
have been into the rev limiter at 155, and it is fast. Been over 130 on my
Tiger 1050. And just yesterday hit the rev limiter at 113 in third gear merging
onto the freeway on the Trophy. All on the street, which only makes me want to
do it on the track, which leads me back to Bonneville. Quick is fun, fast is
fun, and the combination where it is safe is attractive to me. Leading me back
to the salt of the earth. Where cars and motorcycles give it flavor. Which
this year will have no flavor, for the salt will be barren. Without life,
without speed. No people, no thrills, no records to be set. But El Mirage will
open up this year, with a 12,500 foot runway of asphalt to substitute. Closer
to home, do I feel a road trip coming up? It may not be the same, for what
happens when the salt has lost its flavor? Will a new high speed have an *
next to it, denoting a substitute for a salt free track? Is fast at El Mirage
the same as fast at Bonneville?
Yet so many fall short of paying homage to the God of Speed. But you don’t
need to go to Bonneville to enjoy the salt of the earth. You can when you come
to Jesus. He tells us we are the salt of the earth, and without us the world
loses its flavor. Think of that, we are the MSG of life here on planet earth,
if we have Christ in our lives. And we can be that salt and flavor on the
track, in the garage bench racing, at work, or even in church. Wherever we go
Jesus is with us, remember he never leaves us or forsakes us, and therefore he
gives the world flavor through us. If you would, imagine the diet I was on
after my open heart surgery. Bland, diabetic, a thrill was broccoli soup. No
salt, few spices, and no Frosted Flakes. Food devoid of sodium, which hardened
my aorta causing it to disintegrate. The silent killer. The same salt that is
hard enough to race on, hardened my heart. Yet many hard hearts are here today
towards Jesus, not because of diet, but because of unbelief. And just like high
blood pressure brought on by too much salt causes hardening of the arteries, a
life without Jesus causes a hard heart also. No love, no compassion, and devoid
of passion. For God’s gives us passion for the things we love, without him we
are hard hearted, leading to death. Which is why the gospel is such good news,
it brings life to the dead and dying. It takes too much salt, and proportions
it in the right amounts and provides flavor. And a fragrance that is sweet
smelling to God. Think of the sweet smell of racing castor, to us heaven, but
our love for Christ in our daily lives is even sweeter to him. Bonneville may
be the salt of the earth for speed, but Jesus is the salt of the earth, working
through our lives for the human race. And who runs the race not intending to
win?
But just as too much salt is bad, love without Jesus doesn’t work. Too
many preach at us, becoming a loud clanging symbol, or a bell pushing us from
Christ. For without love we have nothing, for God is love. And without God, no
love, no salt for us to be. We lose our flavor, and our purpose. And no matter
how fast we live, it is never fast enough. Until we crash or burn out. And
Jesus is still there, offering the salt shaker of life. Just not at Bonneville
this year.
God gives life flavor through is son Jesus Christ. Hungry for more after
religion? Talk about God but don’t know him? Filled with church but no Jesus?
Add the salt of his love to your diet today. Turn to Christ, he is waiting.
When he comes into your life, it has flavor. The best witness of Jesus you can
have, the spirit living in you, and you becoming the salt that life needs. Some
religion promises quick, some fast, but without Jesus you may run the race, but
will never win. You may gain trophies, but not be entered in the book of life.
Where there are no * by any names, no conditional salvation. All of God or none
of God. No Jesus, no salt. No salt, no spirit. And no spirit, no life. No
matter how fast or how far you go. What part of no don’t you understand?
0-60 in time comes up faster than we think. Don’t delay, you can be saved
today. 0-25,0-12, 0-80, all are eligible. A class for everyone, where Jesus
lets you run what you brung. And all go home a winner. Don’t let your God be
an El Mirage, race the real race and win. Speed Week starts now, the salt flats
may be closed, but God is open now waiting to hear from you. Now excuse me
while I take a break to water a lemon tree.....no MSG added.
love with compassion,
Mike
matthew25biker.blogspot.com