Riding on a motorcycle is so much more REAL than riding in a car. Don't get me wrong. I love the comfort of heat, AC, CD player, cushy seats, windshields, wipers, and seat belts. And a full-size trunk.
But on a motorcycle the rider truly experiences the ride. We just arrived home from a long drive up past Ronald, Washington. November 4th cements the fact that it was cold. Quite cold. There had been recent rain, so not only was it cool, but damp.
Oh, so beautiful, despite the damp and cold. We missed the prime colors, but there were still enough bright yellow leaves on the trees and roadway. I noticed, as I clung to the teensy back seat, how much more I experienced on a motorcycle than in a car. Fall and forest smells wafted through my helmet vents. Droplets splashed up on my legs. Warm and cold air pockets were clearly felt. Sights and sounds were vivid, even if I did occasionally fog up my visor. There was AC, lots of it. My windshield was Kevin. It was all so much more real and I felt like a part of nature, as opposed to just passing through while in my car.
I sat on the back, nursing my backside by shifting forward and back (it IS hard to hang on when your bum in numb), and had plenty of time to think. And talk loudly to myself (in my head). It hit me that Jesus rode a motorcyle to come to Earth. Not literally, of course. Metaphorically.
There He was, up in Heaven, checking out what we were doing. And then God sent Him to us, as a tiny baby. He didn't just cruise through, inside a car (again, metaphorically), but was on a motorcycle. He totally embraced being human. He smelled the smells, felt the weather and temperatures, heard the people, and interacted with nature. Jesus truly experienced the ride, as no one else in history could ever experience life.
What was I missing as I rode on the motorcycle way back? The security of a seat belt, especially at 70 mph.
Jesus did it all, the whole nine yards, without a seat belt. I'm glad He didn't stay cocooned up in Heaven, but gave us the benefit of His once in history ride. He didn't pass on through with the speed on cruise, but grabbed the handle bars with both hands and gave us all He had.
Jesus. The Motorcycle Guy.
