Yesterday we were visiting RuthAnn’s daughter, they had just purchased a 1947 Plymouth sedan. After talking to her it was evident neither she or any of the family knew anything about operating such an ancient vehicle. Everything about this car was foreign to them.
When I climbed into the driver’s seat, to me it was like a trip back into my childhood. The kids couldn’t start the car because it did not fire up when you turned the key. It has a starter button. Even more to get started you needed to adjust the choke and the throttle both manually controlled by knobs on the dash board. Pull the choke out just enough to close the carburetor and open the throttle just enough for good gas flow. Turn the key, pump the gas pedal and hit the starter button. No electronic ignition, no computer to control the carburation, just with manual adjustment and persistence the engine roars to life.
The next problem occurs because this old beast also has a manual transmission. Something we called back in the day, a ‘three on the tree’, three forward gears and reverse but in order to motivate these gears you must use both a clutch and shift manually with a gear shifter handle near the steering wheel. No automatic transmission no put it in reverse or drive and let the car do the work. Again, it takes real work to drive a 1947 car.
All the family was excited that this old guy actually knew how to make this car run. So, daughter, grandson and RuthAnn hopped in, with me in the driver’s seat and off we went. I have to admit I was nervous. Even though I knew how all of it worked, I too had gotten used to driving a car that does so many things for me. But the thrill of driving a piece of history overcame all my fears and carefully we backed out of the garage and headed through the neighborhood, the old engine roaring and the passengers fascinated.
As we traveled along there were lots of questions. Grandson says, “How do you roll the window down, there is no button?” From the back seat RuthAnn says, “You have to crank it down by hand.” Grandson, “Wow!” More serious questions from daughter about shifting, braking and steering, “No there is no power steering!” Finally, when we get to the church parking lot it is time for her to give it a try. There is fear and trepidation, but she gets behind the wheel bravely and with instructions from the old man gets the old car moving forward enough to drive us back home.
Once there so many wonders to see. Lifting the hood everyone ohh and ahhs over the simplicity of the ‘flat head’ eight engine and that everything you would ever need to work on is right there and one could, if they had the know-how, take a wrench and fix any problem. And as we continue to list all the things that make this car from another era so fascinating, it strikes me once again how in the 71 years since the vehicle rolled off the assembly line our world has changed so drastically that even a man my age needed to reach back in distant memory to know how to operate it.
What really struck me is that we have made huge technological advances and now have put all our faith and trust in the machines and computers that supposedly make our life so much simpler. But is that true? This morning as I type this I am sitting in a Toyota dealership as RuthAnn’s car gets serviced. No longer can I get under the hood or slide under the car just to do normal maintenance. We are dependent on machines and yes have to put our faith in them to live, so it seems.
Maybe in ways this is not a bad thing but then I read this verse, “Thus says the LORD, “Cursed is the man who trusts in mankind. And makes flesh his strength. And whose heart turns from the LORD.” (Jeremiah 17:5) Can we become so dependent on our own technology that we forget who created all? I look around me and know we can and do.
I do not want to generalize and say we were doing so much better back in 1947, I don’t think that is true. But one thing is for sure, the more we believe all answers can be found in technology the farther we move away from the faith and love God seeks from us. “Trust in the LORD with all your heart. And do not lean on your own understanding.” (Proverbs 3:5) A fair warning to us all.
I had great fun driving that old car but do not long for the simpler days when we lacked the technology we have. As long as I do not become one, “Who changed the truth of God into a lie; and worships the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever, Amen.” (Romans 1:25) And use all the tools available to spread the Good News of Jesus Christ, life in this fast-paced ever-changing world is where I want to be.
Blessings John
7/23/18
