Sometimes we make Jesus out to be a liar. And we who claim to be Christians do this far more often than our non-believing friends. Whenever we decide that believing a certain way or belonging to a certain group or saying certain words is more important than considering the lilies of the field, we call Jesus a liar. O.K. maybe that's a little too strong. Maybe it's more that we just forget what mattered to Jesus is often very different than what matters to us.

Wasting time is probably the greatest sin in the eyes of our world. That's why it is so hard for us to stop all our busyness and do some holy considering. People will think we're not being serious enough. People will think that we're not being productive. People will think that we really are the good for nuthins' we're afraid we really are. That's what people will think. Christ, on the other hand, will probably assume that we are finally getting the message.

Back in the seventies, when I knew the answers to all of the questions, I read a book that had a profound impact on my spiritual journey. It was written by Robert Pirsig and it is called Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance. If nothing else, it gets my vote for the best title ever. It is an exploration of values and if you've never read it, it's probably time you should. It is certainly worthy of your time. I learned much from this book but what I have remembered most involves a certain attitude toward life that Pirsig espouses. It involves a keen awareness of the nature of things. It involves a kind of holy calling to enter into the experience of others. Other people to be sure but other things, as well. Birds, flowers, motorcycles. It almost sounds scriptural, doesn't it?

Growing up, I never had much interest in things mechanical. They seemed beyond me. But after reading this book, I was drawn to a kind of beauty in machines that I had never noticed before. I actually went out and bought an old Volkswagen for the experience of tearing something apart to see how it works and then, perhaps more importantly, putting it all back together again. What sheer joy there was the first time I actually realized how a piston worked and a crankshaft turned! What immense beauty there was in how oil flows throughout an engine cooling and lubricating. It is hard to describe the pleasure I felt in working with that machine. I became one with it and if that sounds too weird for words, read the book.

Read the Bible, too! Because what Jesus is saying about considering the birds and the flowers and the grass is what I experienced amidst the grease and the gunk. Rotating a nut on the end of a bolt can be one of the most beautiful events in your life. Consider it.