Organized Traffic Meets Organized Religion
When I’m out for some dinner and a drink sometimes I hear the strangest conversations and every once in a while I get involved in them. A couple of weeks ago I was in a brewery in Lansing when the talk turned towards all churches in the area that are becoming breweries. Someone joked about always being able to drink in the Catholic Church so it was nothing new for them. That is not the part that got my attention. It was just an off handed comment someone who is not Catholic made.
There was a guy at the bar who just began to spout out as loud as he could about how much he did not like organized religion. He believed in God, heaven and salvation but despised organized religion. He could not stand it at all. It put a hush on the conversation around the bar, because civilized people do not talk about religion. I had a moment where I thought I should probably say something, or then again I could just finish this beer and not worry about him. After all he was good with God he just could not stand religion. So I got up and went to the bathroom instead. Pretty soon he left and we were sitting at the bar talking with the brew master about his beer and that conversation.
A thought hit me while I was in the bathroom. I know a heck of a place to get some inspiration but you cannot always choose when and where it hits you. In my conversation with the brew master I asked him if he knew the guy that had left. He said no just rode in that day. I told him what I did for a living and that led to a bit of a conversation about my job and stuff that comes with it. I told him that if the guy had not left and if I wanted to get into it I would have simply asked him one question.
The question would simply be this: “Do you believe in organized traffic?” The owner had the same reaction that you just had as you read that. He looked at me with a “Where in the heck is this going?” look. I told him I know everyone believes in organized traffic. I mean, you really don’t have much of a choice. There are those signs and lanes and all those things that help to organize us. Could you imagine what life would be like; if we did not have organized traffic to guide us and keep us in line with each other.
We all want to get somewhere and what if we could just drive however and wherever we feel like when we get in our cars. Some people driving on the right and some on the left at all different speeds. Each person deciding to stop at the light if you feel like it, or just ignoring that stop sign all together would create utter chaos. That is why we all depend on organized traffic to get us where we are going in a good and safe way.
So what does traffic have to do with religion, or more precisely organized religion and traffic? Well when it comes to religion and God we are all looking to get somewhere. The Bible talks about the afterlife and heaven waiting for us one day when we are done here on earth. Wouldn’t it be a little crazy if God just said “Hey hope you make it and hope you get here.” So that is why he organized the trip for us. Leaving signs in religion that guide us and keep us from just hoping we get it right and end up lost or wrecking our lives in pursuit of a good ending.
Many times it seems the Bible is just here to ruin a good time. I thought that and still think that at times even today. But, then I realize that the Bible is here to help us live our lives in a way that is organized as much as life can be organized. So maybe if we found a church that could help us understand the “traffic flow” of God’s love and his deep heartfelt desire to bless us and be in our lives, organized would not be that awful. We often stop short of finding help because, to be honest, religion at times is bad. We have a story or know of someone who has a story about a church that did them wrong. That is sad at times and really makes me understand the guy who doesn’t like organized religion. So we need to not give up the pursuit of a group of people dedicated to finding God’s way and helping each other. That is the organized religion I can enjoy and be a part of in this life.
