So this morning when I left the house… there it was staring me in the face. In the left parking spot, my shiny red BMW – to the right, my salt covered, rusting black Pathfinder. It was the first day that all the snow was completely cleared from the roads and parking lots, so driving my red speedster would be okay…
The above was a part of what I wrote in an e-mail to someone referring to a discussion we had previously…
I was speaking with a friend who said that in many church parking lots you see a lot (no pun intended) of very expensive cars like Lexus(es?) (would the plural actually be Lexi?), Benz’s, and BMWs… and that there’s something amiss about that. This person had no idea of what I actually drive. I rather sheepishly revealed the identity of my conveyance. It was interesting in that I almost felt like I had to apologize for that… that I almost had to justify why I bought it (i.e. within my budget, didn’t interfere with my tithe, last chance to buy a totally impractical high-performance car…). But, in the end, I guess you don’t have to justify anything if you feel you’re doing the right thing. And I guess the implication of buying a car that is almost twice the price of most regular cars is that it’s frivolous. I remember when I first got the car and I was talking to a friend from my college days about it. She seemed very shocked that I bought a car like that. She kept repeating… “but that’s so not you…” and that most of the people that she knew who drove that brand of car were all materialistic jerks. Was I becoming one?
But is it really all that different from buying a $40 bottle of wine or 24 pairs of shoes or every new electronic gadget that comes out? I mean the price tag is orders of magnitude higher, but isn’t the heart the same? Isn’t it just materialism plain and simple? I don’t think we should hide the word. I think it’s interesting when pastors preach on the story of the young rich man who couldn’t sell all his belongings to follow Jesus. They often dance around the subject by asking and answering rhetorically, “Does this mean we have to sell all we own to follow Jesus? No! It’s making you look at where your heart is…” and then congregation breathes a collective sigh of relief. But what if it did? What if we were asked to sell everything we had, give it to the poor, and then follow Jesus? It wouldn’t be outside of God’s right to ask that.
I think how difficult that would be is all about where you find your significance. Is it in what you have or whose you are? And I don’t think that you necessarily need to have luxury items to know. I grew up in pretty modest surroundings. My father managed a gas station in one of the highest hold-up rate stations in L.A. because no one else would. My toys were cardboard boxes, homemade bows and arrows, and a whole lot of imagination, and every Christmas and birthday for many years, all I ever asked for were Lego® sets (not LegoS, people! Lego IS plural – sheesh!). But as our family’s income grew, so did our tastes and hunger for nicer things that we couldn’t have before. But did it lord over us? I hope not.
So can a Christian drive one of those Satanmobiles? I think so. But I think it can be one of those things that can become a hinderance from seeing things in the right perspective. So you have to remain vigilant. Would I be able to give up everything to follow Christ’s leading for my life? I hope that if and when the time comes, that I would be able to without hesitation, but as I told my friend, I don’t take vows of service lightly. It’s too easy to just say that I will and completely ignore the sinful nature that I know still resonates within me.
This was the rest of that portion of the email…
So I hesitated for a moment, took my keys out of my pocket, put the key in the door, and pulled on the stub of the remaining part of the door handle of my Pathfinder… and it was just fine.
I hope it was more than just symbolic.
P.S. I realized that this was turning into a sermon, so I left a bunch out, so if it seems choppy, it’s because it is… and also because I can’t seem to keep my eyes open… maybe I’ll do massive edits in the morning, but this is okay for now.
thanks for posting this. very timely.
very good post — thanks.
assuming the conversation was with you and another Christian brother/sister:
“jealouy serving as a convenient tool for judging/mocking those who have what i have not – religion making it even more convenient.”
is there something noble and Christian about a student failing out of school because she devotes 100% of her time at church serving God? is there something noble and Christian about a person who has never once stopped to greet a homeless man simply because he never owned a BMW? is there something noble and Christian about a person who treats her parents like dirt simply because she smiles and greets the brothers and sisters at church while serving God and she doesn’t, and never intends to, own a luxury house? is there something noble and Christian about someone who gossips, provokes fights and destroys friendships simply because he sings hymns, prays and cares for those he chooses to care for … and he doesn’t have a Benz?
Why would anyone want to waste all their time and positive energy on something so negative as this? Instead of being critical of these things, let’s spend that time and energy examining ourselves and asking ourselves if our hearts allow us to attack others’ faith based on their cover – what they have/have not, what they wear, what they like/dislike.
I’m not an exception to giving out this negative energy but I thought I’d make a note to remind myself and others – life is too short to focus our eyes on seeing the negatives.
oh, that was me – Claire – for those of you who might find my comment annoyingly preachy or offensive.
A HA! I KNEW IT! IT SOUNDS LIKE SOMETHING CLAIRE WOULD WRITE!
not only is the Nonmembercomment’s comment preachy, it simply doesn’t make any sense at all. what are you talking about? *scratching my head in confusion.
ssorry guys – i was eating couscous when i wrote the comment so i wasn’t really “polishing” my thoughts. ms. ambiguity.
N.B.: the point of that comment was: don’t worry be happy.
nice…
Is the gospel so radical that it would make us want to not get a BMW and give our hard earned money to people less fortunate? Could the meaning of the Gospel and what our Lord has done for us…sacrificed for us… make us give up our “luxuries” to move into the ghetto and spread our wealth to those less fortunate? Could our hearts be changed so radically by what God has done for us that we would want to do that… that we would no longer desire to indulge ourselves but give up our hard earned dollars to our church and our community?
Could the 10% that Christians’ are required to give merely be the bare minimum?
hey look everyone! the righteous has spoken! boy, u must be living in a homeless shelter by now.
they’re just questions… obviously, you don’t think “outside the box” too often.
i FINALLY figured it out! man, i feel better now. NonmemberComment has SPLIT personalities! duh! no wonder!
HAHA, NICE… I love it – dialogue! But let’s lay some ground rules here because it’s getting confusing… PLEASE, identify yourself and refer to which comment or whom you are addressing… right now it just seems like NonMemberComment is schizophrenic. If needed, I will give the blow by blow when it gets too confusing…
some words from Black Eyed Peas….
Father, Father, Father help usSend us some guidance from above‘Cause people got me, got me questionin’Where is the love (Love)I feel the weight of the world on my shoulderAs I’m gettin’ older, y’all, people gets colderMost of us only care about money makin’Selfishness got us followin’ our own directionWrong information always shown by the mediaNegative images is the main criteriaInfecting the young minds faster than bacteriaKids act like what they see in the cinemaYo’, whatever happened to the values of humanityWhatever happened to the fairness in equalityInstead in spreading love we spreading animosityLack of understanding, leading lives away from unityThat’s the reason why sometimes I’m feelin’ underThat’s the reason why sometimes I’m feelin’ downThere’s no wonder why sometimes I’m feelin’ underGotta keep my faith alive til love is found
yo yo yo… nate dawg… i finally broke down and signed up for a username thing here so i can comment on this ridiculousness! i hope a fight breaks out.
sad to say tho, alot of believers don’t even tithe…
drive whatever you want, dude
i second grocery.
that sounded weird.
as long as you don’t mean anything by driving a bmw, then let it be. and leave it up to others to decide whether to take it a personal offense or not.
I second and third grocery and renayi…It’s a piece of medal on wheels. Just because it says Benz or BMW on it and has some fancy, sphancy nice options, it’s not any different than driving a Toyota or Chevy or whatever. IT’S A CAR!!! ‘Nuff said… Why should Christians be judged just because they drive a nice car? That’s just pure non-sense.
Just a word… the person who was telling me all this did not mean it in a judgemental tone. It was more general about how affluent some churches are. I am the one who added the editorialization just from my own reflection on my heart. Carry on.
hi rena *wave* are you stil at the public health school?
its good to be introspective about things we do and look things in the eye as they are. i think at the end of the day it’s between you and God, and if there’s a problem w/ it, you’ll receive the conviction to effect the change.
i think all christians should drive a mazda 6. period.
kwabert, do you have a girl friend? i am just saying you are so funny and i really like it. lol lol
no, i don’t have a girlfriend. what’s your number?
HAHAHA! Welcome to Nate’s internet soapbox and singles cafe! Come to discuss theology, reacquaint yourself with old college buddies, and mingle… no cover charge… no drink minimum.
my number’s 410-750-3377 call me sometime sweetie. you look like a hotter version of kim gunmo
nate, you have 27 (now 28) comments. what’s the most you’ve ever gotten in a single entry?
hmm, never did answer your question. Not a new satanmobile. new pair of skis (a much less magnitude of $$$, but still a pricey toy).
443-293-8432
that’s my cell kwabert.
Great post and I have thought the same thing but about Rolex watches… I knew several people that had rolex watches and several were presidential… I think that one of the compleeing thoughts to me is… taking it back to scripture…
1. Luke 12:34For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
I think that you have to consider also the attitude that we see int he movie Schindlers list… at then end when he see’s all the people that he was able to save from the death camps… he starts thinking differently…
In essence, God judges motives not as much actions… buying an expensive car is an action… but the motives are what is important…
2. (another scripture)
All things are lawful unto me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any. 1 cor 6:12
All things are lawful for me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but all things edify not. 1 cor 10:23
Personally, I would love to go for a ride in your Beemer and I would buy lunch… and I would never think nothing bad either way, if you drove a beemer or rusty pathfinder…
This is a chance for you to seek the Lord on this issue and let the Holy Spirit talk to your heart…
For the record, when I moved to my current house I spent about $7000-$8000 on a home theater system that I really loved… still have it and still like to watch it… so I had many of hte same thoughts over that issue that you are having over the car…
my pastor once said: Everyday I wake up and I CHOOSE to sin. I do it because it is my nature. *sermon continues* HE ends with a great finale: But God knows my nature, jsut as he knows every bit of me. And he has already answered my sinful nature – with Christ’s death on the Cross.God knows our sins, and expects us to commit more sins – for if we were capable of stopping Christ’s death would have been unnecessary. I still mean to ask him one question though: how do you deal with knowing you CHOOSE to sin, despite knowing better? That is the part that’s hard for me to rectify.