In religious metaphors gone-terribly-wrong news, a preacher named Jeff Harlow in Kokomo, Indiana crashed a motorcycle INSIDE the church in an attempt to explain the concept of “unity.” Fortunately, no one except Harlow was hurt.
Now it may sound stupid to you, but let me just say, that’s what preachers have to do, in order to get through to us thick-headed churchgoers. I was raised in a Southern Baptist Church. Not the wild, hand-clapping, I’m-going-to-sue-you-later-for-
that-head-injury-I-sustained-
whilst-speaking-in-tongues type church. I’m talking about a church where it was frowned upon to clap after a moving hymn or children’s choir performance, because it would not be appropriate to applaud one sinner over another, lest we forget we are in the HOUSE OF THE LORD. So there were definitely times when I could see the frustration on my pastor’s face, wondering how he was going to keep us all awake during his 20+ minute sermon about Paul’s four-millionth letter to some Ephesian dudes. Sometimes, he would try and get creative with his metaphors (God’s love will cover you like the sauce on a McRib Sandwich!), or use silly props (this Teddy Ruxpin doll reminds me so much of Satan!), or raise his voice slightly (Jesus LOVES you!).
So it comes as no surprise that Harlow was trying to do something big, something that would really grab the congregation’s attention:
“He had this idea that he would bring this bike out onstage and show people how the rider would become one with the bike,” [his wife] told the Kokomo Tribune. “He was going to just sit on it and drive it out. He was just walking the dirt bike out onstage and somehow it got away from him.”
He was just trying to DRIVE his point home, if you know what I mean! Heyo! Ahem.
What I’m curious about is the exact point he was trying to make. Does the bike represent Jesus? Are we supposed to straddle Jesus with our loins and ride off into the sunset together? Or should we jump Jesus over a row of 14 cars?
p.s. Kokomo!
(Yahoo)
