I got a new bike a few weeks ago. My new friend Harold let me borrow his new commuter bike while he is out of town for the Winter. It is a nice bike! Internal gears, disk brakes, digital speedometer, and more. It was a nice improvement to my 10 year old $150 bike. A week after I got it I was on my commute to BSU when the left crank arm (the pedal
![[[ IMAGE crank arm: display images to view. ]]](http://origin.ih.constantcontact.com/fs036/1101875929879/img/42.jpg?a=1102877997983)
attaches to it) fell off! The screw that held it on was no where to be found. I tried to ride with one pedal... a silly idea. I was left to use this brand new bike as a scooter. For about a mile and a half I sat on the seat and slowly pushed along with one leg.
In 1 Corinthians 12 Paul compares the followers of Jesus to a body. Each part is important. It takes the whole thing working together to function like it should. I was reminded of this truth as I slowly scootered along on the brand new bike.
So many people today have succumbed to cultural confusion and they disregard, see as irrelevant, even ignore those who are of generations that are "past their prime" according to society. Many others dismiss the vitality of younger generations as immaturity. There are subtle and overt pressures to separate ourselves into categories so we don't have to face the challenges of dealing with our natural differences. How could an old fogy possibly relate to a "hipster"? The youth culture today couldn't conceivably find anything of value in a group of middle-aged clueless commoners.
Every facet of our society divides us to weaken the most basic of our foundations: the family. We think we can't relate to each other because our tastes are just too different. We try, but they just don't get it. Don't believe the lies! Everywhere you look we are divided by age: school, sports, music, tv, movies, even church. There is certainly value in hanging with people we can relate to, but you cannot be complete without direct, significant relationships with parents, grandparents, younger brothers and sisters, both natural and in our adopted family of Jesus. Each of us has Spiritual gifts and abilities we should share and pass on to new generations. It takes intentional work to break the barriers.
When you seclude yourself from those who are unlike you, the crank arm falls off of your Christian life. Even a brand new cool bike without a crank arm can only scooter along... looking incredibly silly... going nowhere fast. I want to encourage you to embrace the family God gave to you. You can't ride without it... and without you, all they can do is scooter.
