It gets hot in Texas. It gets hot in Texas and stays hot. It is so hot there that people write songs about it--smoking hot blues songs that make you sweat even more. Part of the problem is the sun--very bright and penetrating. Forces us to develop habits, especially around cars. If a shade tree is not found (good luck!), you must crack more than one window and place a sun reflector in the dash. When you return to your car, you open the doors to allow the heat to escape before daring to enter. Then you start the car and immediately turn the a/c on, keeping the windows down to continue to let hot air out. Then you drive, the faster the better, so your car will cool off before you get home. And keep the a/c vents blowing directly on your own face and body. Forget the kids.
Old habits die hard. I have found myself many times, during this very mild summer here in Iowa, jumping into the CR-V on a nice 70 degree day and starting the car a/c. Then I look around and realize everyone else has their windows down, enjoying fresh Iowa air, and I smile to see that I am unnecessarily following human tradition.
Sinful? Probably not. But a good example of what Jesus meant when he accused people of following human traditions rather than following the commandments of God (see Mark 7:1-23). We easily get stuck in familiar routines and often don't take the time to ask ourselves important questions like "Where am I?" and "Is what I am doing really necessary?" Jesus invites us to be reflective in our faith so we don't get off base. What way of thinking from yesterday needs to die so that you can be faithful today? What lessons need unlearned? For life-giving faith, this kind of work is good and necessary, if hard. And impossible to do alone. We need each other on our journey of "being reformed by the Word." You count. You help bring others to freedom.
In the cool breeze, Pastor David
online journal of First Presbyterian Church in Muscatine Iowa
