It seems group riding, or crowd riding as I call it and better describes
it, brings out the best and worst in fellow riders. For some reason those on
Harleys must rev their motors, reminding us of all the power the sound of their
exhaust sounds like they have, the Gold Wing guys get up to 50 then stay there,
can’t ride faster than the volume of your radio, and us other guys, sport bike
guys as we are referred to, hang back, and sometimes even lose sight of the
crowd, then accelerate to catch up. Funny how we all ride, but have so many
different riding styles. Having participated and endured too many crowd rides,
often heard at stops, while others complain of the lack of riding skills around
them, “now you see why we ride alone.” Taking a lesson learned over 45 years
ago from a fellow rider, “if you are comfortable at 60, and me at 63, in an hour
we will be three hours apart.” Or more accurately, if we try to stay with each
other, after an hour we will both be miserable, and miles apart. No one
enjoying the ride. So to those of you who get off on crowd rides, who find
freedom in the security of insecurity, please respect my riding alone. We all
cannot be the great riders you are.....
But one such ride taught me that we can all get along, our Torches Across
America ride in 2005. A group of thirty of us set off from Oceanside to Ground
Zero, 3000 miles over 10 days, and like any large group, broke up into smaller
ones, with each group riding its own ride. We paired up with two experienced
Gold Wing riders, an open exhaust 500 cc Kawi, and a few others. All with
different rides and styles, but we rode as a group, each night meeting and
surveying the next day’s route, comparing miles per tank, and comfortable riding
speeds. Then agreed upon a pace we all were comfortable with. And it worked,
for over 3000 miles no fights, no one got lost, and one memorable lunch at a
Steak and Shake, complete with hats says it all. We left our egos in our rooms
when we left, no one to impress or depress, and this is the only group of men I
would ever tour with again. I was among the youngest but most experienced, but
I put that aside for the good of the ride, and learned a lot about people and
their rides. And mine. With no egos to be fed, we all enjoyed the ride.....now
if Christians could only get it....imagine how the church would change the
world!
Although Timothy was a seasoned Christian, Paul sent him to minister to and
with older men, whom he had trained. We all know the scriptural warning of
Paul, “don’t let them look down on you because you are young in age,” don’t look
for a fight or ego boost based on your testimony, but rather but rather by
speech and conduct show a sensitivity, reflecting the love and compassion of
Jesus Christ. Just like we would, or should....but Paul highlights two areas
speech and conduct, and right there, many of us have blown it. We are to be
loving and faithful, both in words and attitudes, reflected in our
actions. Instead we like to rev our own motors, brag on our horsepower, coming
off as rude and arrogant. We are not to be like the man who knows it all, only
to find he hasn’t heard all the questions yet. The first sign of a good pastor
is to be a good listener. How can you respond if you don’t know what was said
over your own voice? Or loud pipe....
But as we also found on our ride, we had to be respectful, responsible, and
maintain our agreements on the ride. If not, all was in vain. Again put
simply, the ride was not all about me, but us, putting others first, as we
always do to others....you do don’t you? It seems our commitments are not worth
the voice that spoke them, how many times must you lie before you are a liar?
Is one too many? But maybe the hardest is being a stranger in a strange land,
for each one of us had to give something to gain something. And it was all
worth it. Out of respect for us being Christians, we stayed out of bars, didn’t
hear any rude or offensive talk around the ladies. Respect was shown to all, no
dirty stories or double edged jokes, because we didn’t preach, didn’t make
others join our rules of conduct, they could see by our actions a side of Jesus
religion has abandoned years ago. Not that we were without fault, but that as a
true Christian, not a pew filler, something was different about us,and we could
be ourselves and share Jesus by our love and respect. To the point, that
sometimes when we forgot to gather and pray each morning, it was always one of
the group who reminded us. Funny how when God is at work changing a heart, we
can be ourselves. Now if only we could all ride together, fellowship together,
or even agree on the gospel together! I can hear the excuses already....proving
my point.
So maybe Paul’s advice for Timothy is for all of us. Remember the fruit of
the spirit, does it show in our lives? Or do you need a vest or shirt to tell
someone you are a Christian? Nothing sadder than a group of loud Christian
bikes annoying others. They hear your pipes, and your message. Sadly it is
different than the gospel. So don’t LET anyone look down on you because you are
a Christian, but SET an example being led by the spirit. Each one of us loves
our own bike, and we all ride different. It’s that personal. Funny how love
and respect may have gone out of style, but Jesus never has. Something to
remember next time you look down on someone, remember the view Jesus had from
the cross. Looking down he saw us....looking up, who do you see.....
By the way, we all made it safe, with only one hitch when 3500 motorcycles,
over 18 miles of us, hit the Holland Tunnel at once....but that’s another
story! And of course the ride back....
love with compassion,
Mike
matthew25biker.blogspot.com