To some the black hearse with Canada plates might not mean anything, but to
his friends on the Sunset Strip it meant one thing, “Neil Young was back in
town.” It seems everyday we pass people or things that may not mean much to us,
but do to someone else. And although Young Neil, as we used to call him, may
not in hiding, he could have been doing it in plain sight. It is always good to
be recognized, but on our own terms, there are times when we love our privacy,
but then there are times like....
I was walking one street over in TJ from the contingency day at the 1995
Baja 1000. I was taking a group of my Mexican friends on tour of the races,
when we ran into Ivan Stewart. Knowing Ivan,who had seen me and called out to
me, he stopped and visited, allowed pictures with each one, and left. With
Mario, their boss saying, “ you said you knew him, we didn’t know he was your
friend.” Or when we started sponsoring the Flanery family from Wisconsin back
in the SODA series. At the first race at Glen Helen, Brady their crew chief
called to me in the crowd ten deep, and got us behind the barrier into their
pit. Being introduced to Jed, their patriarch, he ripped off a piece of the
body, signed it, and gave both my son and nephew a piece.
My new boss in California was going to vacation in Durango where we used to
live, and were planning to visit friends. I had told then to make sure they ate
at Francisco’s, best Mexican food in town, and when we met them for dinner, it
was an hour wait. Then I heard “Mike Mohn, is that you?” It was an old friend
Skip, Francis, Jr. and he waved all eight of us through the crowd and gave us a
table. Talk abut impressed, how cool was that? It seems there are certain
times when you love to hear your name, and knowing the right people is a good
thing. And still no Young Neil insight....or the hearse.
Now we all love to get the best seat, best deal, and quite honestly the
best of everything. No one sets out to be mediocre or to fail, yet not
everyone is famous, is successful, and most of us suffer though life, mostly by
our own hand, based on bad decisions. I used to tell my sons “give me a reason
to say yes,” but they like me and most of us found out the most important
lessons learned are from bad choices, and them from God’s mercy intervening. In
a world of networking, I hate that word, why not say it is who you know, we all
know someone who knows someone who is the someone. Maybe that is where religion
gets it or where we get it from religion. Even today some denominations insist
the priest or pastor is the one sent to bring the gospel, to read the Bible, and
even to minister. To those bound in religion, the Bible says no such thing.
When a person comes to Christ he is immediately an ambassador of Jesus, ready to
minister, but probably not prepared. Although given the holy spirit, who is
generally denied, but still at work in our lives, guiding us when we don’t know
it, praying when don’t know what to pray, and sticking with us. I used to deal
with people who would call me for anything, just to pray, it was when they
discovered after repeated reminders you don’t need to call me, just call God,
their lives began to change. They learned to hear the spirit and trust him,
taking the things they had learned out to others. Discipleship it is called,
equipping others to equip others, and in their personal lives they grew, and so
did their witness. We will never know everything, and God will allow situations
so he can prove his love to us, but when God became the one to call first, lives
changed. But how to talk to God......
Religion offers us rote prayers, for the dead, for meals, for sickness,
even for salvation. Even biker blessings. Most based on man, rather than
reaching out to God himself. Jesus was sent to reunite us with him, and left
his spirit to guide us, making it personal. Yet like the evangelist who tells
of the freedom in Jesus, then lays down the rules, the spirit is neglected.
With some denying him altogether, while others are misinformed about him. We
can talk to him at any time, in any language, without notes, and just talking
our own talk. How anti-religious? Sounds like Jesus....who came to set us free
from such things. But yet some follow pastors, collect his books, subscribe to
money grabbers on TV, and get their gospel, close but not the one of Jesus
Christ. All lies are based on truth....religions vary on the truth. Some
pastors only learning what they were taught, by men who are only teaching what
they were taught. Some knowingly, some not. But we need to ask ourselves,
where is Jesus in all this?
Do we look for God in our daily lives? How do you know he is in yours?
While some look for black hearses, or ways to get the best table, God has given
us his spirit, and his fruit to show how he is in our lives. Simply put, as
Galatians 5:22 states, love, joy, peace, patience, goodness, kindness, long
suffering, meekness, and self control. No laws against any of these. Do your
friends look to you because you have these fruits in your life, remember they
are fruits of the spirit, you cannot grow them on your own. Despite what you
may have been taught...they are evidence of Jesus Christ active in your life.
Ending on this note, in each case I knew someone, and passed on the
blessings to others. Today you can be that light of the joy of the Lord to a
lost and dying person, as the fruit of the spirit in your life is poured out.
Goodness and kindness, peace and patience we all desire, but it will be the self
control, based on our actions and reactions, our decisions, that will reflect
Jesus even more. Jesus put us above all others, unto his own death. Today
while others cry about their rights, Jesus is here to forgive their wrongs. To
show us how to be responsible, loving and forgiving. To give rather than take.
Jesus tells us it is better to give than receive, receiving is good, but
the joy of giving love to others in Christ is priceless. Rejoice in the fact
Jesus call us friend if we keep his commandment of love. That we are going to
heaven, and can have all the things of heaven right now via his spirit.
Musicians tour, racers travel from race to race, and we go from meal to meal.
There are times when we appreciate our privacy, other times we love hearing our
own name. Jesus loves you calling his name in reverence, and sharing it with
others. By no other name under the heavens or on earth can we be saved. Jesus
made it easy, religion makes it hard. So true, what comes out of a man is more
important than what goes into him. I know many people who matter, knowing Jesus
makes all the difference. Neil Young may only be in town for a one night
stand....you see they didn’t say if he was coming or going. Don’t you make the
same mistake about Jesus.
love with compassion,
Mike
matthew25biker.blogspot.com