To a lot of younger riders I meet today, I am just the old guy who has
ridden a million miles and who thinks he has seen it all. But still each ride
shows me something new, just like it does for them. They fail to look at it
through my eyes, as I was once where they were, and the dreams of riding places,
meeting people, having a fast bike, with all the goodies was once my dream too.
But looking back my reality has been much better than my dreams, only God can do
that, and today the reality of life keeps me still dreaming. There are still
more roads, more bikes to ride, and less time now to do it all in. But one trip
back to Cycle Guide magazine, the May of 1980 issue reminds me of how far we
have come, how far I have been, how far I still have to go, and rekindles the
old dreams again. The bottom line is I want to get out and ride more, and last
week an 1800 mile ride confirmed that. Back in 1980, that was still a
dream....
I owned a 1981 KZ750 like the one on the cover, a superbike at the time,
lightweight and running a 12.50 quarter mile. Bragging rights if you will. All
for $2749 1980 dollars. The ads again made me think of the dreams, a Windjammer
fairing for touring, a big deal back then, as any bike was a touring bike when
you added one. Ads for Alphabet, Hooker, Kerker, Yoshimura, and Jardine
headers. Kawasaki bragging on bringing fuel injection to two wheels, the Vetter
Mystery ship revealed on page 36, never saw one on the road. An article rating
motorcycle movies, giving The Wild One only two helmets, we were years away from
Harley rewriting marketing and making us all want to be bad. Bikers were yet to
be born for the mainstream rider. At least Easy Rider and On Any Sunday gained
4 stars! CHiPs was still prime time, Fonzi rode a Triumph, so did James Brolin
on Marcus Welby, MD. and Evel Knievel wasn’t evil, just a fad. An article on
tires never mentioned radials, still 20 years away from everyday use. Names
like Roberts, Springsteen, and Eklund raced at the Astrodome, on the dirt.
Porsche was developing a motor for Harley Davidson, they were still owned by
AMF, the Japanese owned motorcycling, BMW’s meant touring, and it was all new
and exciting. The common bond was we all rode, and the breakdown of types of
rides was still far away. Today it divides us, when we need to go back and
remember when the fact we rode was more important than what we rode. And each
month we waited for the next issues of Cycle, Cycle Guide, Cycle World, and Road
Rider to keep us dreaming. Only Cycle World remains today....but it seems we
have lost more than just the publications, we have lost the brotherhood and
dreams it once met. Now we see groups of Harley riders, Indian riders, Wing
nuts or ADV riders, back then I had a Kawi, David rode a Yamaha, Brett and
George rode Hondas, and we all got along. Sadly no one rode BSA’s, Indians, or
Triumphs any more, but Triumph would be back, and so is Indian. The dreams were
rekindled and kept alive, maybe this is the good old days after all.
One thing we needed then, and still do today is we need each other. Works
for riding, it also works for the body of Christ. Jesus taught us two things in
the New Testament, you cannot say “I don’t need you,” and the second is “you
don’t need me.” God set us up as a body who needs each other, and when we
realize that, the church, us becomes a vital, living, breathing, and growing
body. We all play a part in God’s kingdom, and none of us should be set apart
from it. Today as always, the ministry of the church belongs to the whole
congregation, not just the pastors and staff. Each one of us is called to be an
ambassador of Christ, to bring light and hope into the dark world, to be the
Bible they may never read, to be the one who goes out to them, like Jesus did to
us. Inviting someone to church is not evangelism, yet church habits over the
years have taught us the pastors are the only ones who can counsel, they are the
only ones who can teach, and minister to the hurting. These are not signs of a
healthy church, yet it is talked about, many times from a man hiding behind a
pulpit who couldn’t get out and do it, so he doesn’t encourage his flock. God
has given us the privilege of going out and being sharing the gospel wherever we
are. Mention the church, and we think of the building, not those in it. Jesus
saw it differently, and still does.
If your church does not encourage you, it is lacking and may be sick
spiritually. That ought to annoy many, but when we each get out and start to
minister, like mentioned in Matthew 25, life becomes exciting, worthwhile,and we
see the holy spirit in action. Life takes on a new insight, as we represent
Jesus Christ and not the church. Do not confuse the two, we need to be guided
by the spirit, and should be encouraged from our pastors and his staff. If
not....it has become more important of what we ride than the fact we ride. The
brotherhood we should share becomes splintered, and soon we lose the desire.
Maybe a trip through 1 Corinthians 12 and Romans 12 will give you insight, but
then it is up to you as to ride or not, to serve Jesus or not, or be stuck in
church wondering what all the excitement is about. We need each other, but we
need the holy spirit to bind us together, to give us the dreams and see them
into reality. In my wildest dreams I never thought I would ride press bikes for
Triumph, or ride over 1 million miles, but I do both, and still get excited. I
never thought I would teach Bible concepts and minster to the poor, indigent,
and those in jail. But God did and his spirit inspired me and still does
today. I could not imagine not doing either. Many cannot see me doing
either! But in Christ-WOW!
The gift of ministry belongs to all who are saved. We need each other, as
I was reminded again when we got back. I needed a bed, someone called with
one. We need clothes, a couple who has a ministry to the poor supplies all we
need. A large church who distributes food supplies it for us, we get to see
those hungry being fed, those naked being clothed, and Jesus at work. And see
them now getting out and doing the same for others, encouraging those who need
it, see the Bible come alive, experiencing Jesus, not just learning about him.
Their reality surpassing any dreams they might have had. Only Jesus can do
that!
God has not forgotten about you, have you forgotten about him? In 1980
motorcycling was different, have we changed or did it? Still dreaming when you
could be out riding? If your life was a training film for motorcycling, would
you watch it? Would it make you want to ride? The ads of our youth did, now
ask yourself about Jesus, and a movie of him in your life. What does it tell
others? Would you watch it? Would it make anyone who did want Jesus? You
cannot teach experience, you can teach about Jesus, but there is nothing like
his experience. Jimi Hendrix once asked “have you ever been experienced?”
Well have you? Well, I have.....and the education will never compare to the
application. Or the experience. Living the dream? There is nothing like the
reality of Christ in your life. Your ministry is just waiting to begin!
love with compassion,
Mike
mattehw25biker.blogspot.com