Jesus' Minivan
I recently encountered this little glittering jewel of Americana on a vehicle in a Harris Teeter parking lot. Note the God is my Pilot sticker. My apologies if your vehicular transport bears this oval adhesive decal on its skin. I am only half-joking when I say, “Really?” Now, I am slightly appeased by the latest upgrade of this saying. It was once common to proudly stick something on your car that stated, “God is my Co-Pilot.” I am certain he was very appreciative of the promotion.
I must say I’m always confused by these stickers. First, to my knowledge, cars, SUV’s and trucks can’t fly. Not sure why a pilot would be necessary, natural or divine. Second, a follower of Jesus believes that a loving God in heaven created all that we see, and through omnipotence, omnipresence and omniscience graciously ensures His divine will is accomplished in all of humanity. How that magnanimous worldview coincides with unceremoniously demoting Jesus from Sovereign Lord of the universe to chauffeur, I’ll never grasp. Third, and perhaps most disheartening is the choice of transportation.
Seriously, if, and I mean a big fat theoretical IF, God Himself were to drive a vehicle – a God whose voice shakes the wilderness, whose heights cannot be measured, whose power is infinite and whose love is boundless – if that same God were to buckle himself behind a steering wheel, there is ABSOLUTELY NO POSSIBILITY it would be a minivan!! He was humble, but he definitely had a flair for the dramatic – healing the blind, walking on water & raising the dead.
65 GTO – Yes. 04 Caravan – No.
Of course, I am writing facetiously and sarcastically. Please don’t be offended if you love putting stickers on your car. The point is not the sticker. My point is our human tendency to shrink God into easily digestible pieces. We turn the Lion of Judah into a cute house cat (if such a thing exists). Let’s consider what Solomon had to say about God.
But will God indeed dwell with man on the earth? Behold, heaven and the highest heaven cannot contain you, how much less this house that I have built!
(2 Chronicles 6:18 ESV)
If heaven can’t contain God, be careful attempting to quantify the irreducible Sovereign Almighty Jehovah God into a cosmic catchphrase. Simple, but not easy.
