A NASCAR Lesson in Discipleship

I am an avid NASCAR fan.  As a Lutheran, it seems like the perfect sport for me to be following.  What other sporting event begins with an invocation and allows me to carry in my own beer.  I especially enjoy the intensity of watching a race live.  When they are racing at Texas Motor Speedway, I am probably there.  Attending a summer race at the speedway in Michigan has become a tradition for my brothers and me.   My interest in racing started early.   I remember watching Monday night races at Motor City Speedway in Detroit on TV.  When I was old enough to drive I took my brothers to watch the Saturday night races at the quarter-mile track in Mount Clemens.  I was a fan of The King, Richard Petty, long before the races were broadcasts live on television.  A few years ago my family gave me the gift of driving school for Christmas.  I got to spend a Saturday evening at the speedway learning for to drive a stock car and then got to spend time on the track.  You can check it out on Youtube/NASCAR Grandpa. 

I am also able to draw many parallels between stock car racing and the walk of discipleship.  NASCAR is a team sport.  Behind every driver is a crew of professionals.  There is a specialist for almost every aspect of the car.  The cars are hand-built from the tires up.  When the cars arrive at the track for each race they are set up for that particular race.  The crew then makes fine-tuned adjustments to accommodate weather and track conditions.  One of the most decisive aspects is the balance of the car.  A half-pound of air added to a tire can make a critical difference.  A perfectly balanced care is able to reach optimum speed.  It’s a fine balance.  Step over that line and the car is out of control. The race team that does the best job often finds themselves celebrating in Victory Lane.

 

In many way that is like the balance that contemporary Christians are trying to achieve.  We are called to be disciples in a changing world.  In Romans 11, Paul challenges us to “not conform but to be transformed by the renewing of your mind.”  At the same time we are called by Jesus to be people of love, compassion and mercy.  The Gospels provide countless examples of Jesus showing grace and forgiveness toward those who were living lifestyles that ran counter to God’s plan.  It is a fine line.  How do we stay true to God’s desires when it comes to a moral lifestyle, yet show love toward those whose actions seem to run counter to God’s plan? 

I sincerely believe the answer does not lie inside church walls.  Jesus does not call us to a world where we are insulated from the current culture.  Instead He challenges us to be living, breathing disciples who share His message of hope.  That requires self-control on our part and compassion toward those who are lost.  It is a delicate balance.