When I was in college I had a camera and a friend. The friend had a motorcycle but wanted a camera. We swapped. My motorcycle was a Kawasaki 85, black and chrome. It took me a while to get used to it, but it sure was fun. Besides, I couldn’t afford a car. (For you non-biker types, a Kawasaki 85 is just a tad bigger than the scooters currently favored by people who are no longer allowed to drive.)

I remember zipping about town in my brown leather jacket, bug splattered glasses and helmet. Those 85 cc’s managed to move me comfortably up to 45 miles per hour, more than enough for the streets of Quincy, Massachusetts. If I brought a date, however, the pace had to be more sedate. Of course, that didn’t bother me too much, since my date is now my wife.

As I was working my way through college, I found a job on the other side of Boston. That meant I had to brave the traffic on the highway with some of the worst drivers in the country. Bostonians aspire to be European in their driving. They drive too fast to stop on time, or creep along during “rush hour”with horns blowing and vocabulary now classified as “Road Rage”.

Bostonians don’t associate with people who can only go 45 miles per hour. Kawasaki 85’s refuse to go faster than 45 miles for any length of time. Every day I would find myself by the side of the road waiting for the little motorcycle to cool down enough to get me another mile or so. Motorists had a variety of comments which still limit my desire to visit Boston traffic to this day.

I enjoyed my leather jacket. I thought my glasses were cool. I even had a beard at the time. I gave the biker salute to the other “Bikers” as they passed. But it’s no fun being a “Biker” if your bike is a Kawasaki 85.

It’s a tough world out there, and sometimes you’ve got to have some horsepower, just to get out of a jam. But too many Christians want to downsize their faith to something they can handle. You know, something that keeps them putting along by the curb of life. They might have the little cross necklace, maybe even a fish on their bumper. But get them into a situation where they really have to rely on God and all they’ve got is a few cliches and a “Now I lay me down to sleep. . .”

No, for the kind of traffic we face today, faith has to be stronger. I wouldn’t say that there are more temptations than ever before, but the delivery systems have improved. And if it’s tough for you, think how hard it is for your children! Yet some Christians keep nursing their little faith along, hoping that Satan won’t run them off the straight and narrow. They avoid church for the slightest excuse, leave their Bibles on the table for decoration, keep their prayers short and one-sided. Then they wonder why God doesn’t look out for them better or their children seem out of control.

But the Gospel is powerful stuff. The example of Christ lays out the course. The Holy Spirit reminds us how to meet the curves life throws us, and how to avoid the potholes. If Satan wants to drag you down, you can leave him in the dust. If that’s not happening, you need a bigger faith. So trade in your old complacency for a new commitment. Smell the new you, crank up your hope, and know that though the road ahead may not be clear, your windshield is. Enjoy the ride.

Rev. Dennis P. Levin