Bouncing Rubber Tires

James 2:14 -- "What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? ... Faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead."

Though our family has been back on US soil for twenty-three years now, some moments, while living in the Philippines, FEEL like they were experienced just yesterday. I remember them in vivid color, in tropical breezes with salt on the air, and in the warmth of a bright sun on my skin.

Dad used to take my sister and I on his trips into the deep tropical "wilderness" on the island of Mindanao. We would take turns so as not to take up more seating in his van/truck, making the trip a little less crowded for the groups of young Filipinos that would travel with Dad to sing, pray with villagers, and help plant new churches. I loved these trips. Dad had a lot of work to do - stressful hours of managing the winding dirt and gravel roads along the side of Mount Apo [a rather large volcano]- but I got to hang out with some pretty great people in the back of the van. From those journeys God blessed me with some wonderful friendships that have lasted my entire life.

I learned very quickly NOT to look out the side of the window that faced away from the cliff. And if by chance, I peeped out over the steep ledge with a sheer drop off just inches from our tires - I knew not to look down. If I did, panic would take over and I'd have to finish the trip with my eyes clinched shut while my teeth ground around my tongue in vice-like jaws.

It was during one of these trips that I learned NOT to look out of the front of the vehicle either. The gang and I were singing loudly as dust billowed up around the windows and our bodies jostled up and down with every rain-washed pot hole and deep rut in the road - when suddenly, the rough ride felt a bit different. The jostling altered a bit and looking out of the front window,

I saw what Dad saw - a bouncing rubber tire rolling along after passing us with great speed. Dad commented; "now that's something you don't see every day."

True. Where in the world did a tire come from out on a dusty and jagged road in the middle of tropical nowhere?

I'll give you one guess. . . 

Not too long after Dad's comment the van tipped right and slammed us all against each other as it ground to a rough and sudden stop. "Well, THAT explains a lot!" Dad said. And then had to go about chasing the tire down so he could put it back on the axle of the old van. We weren't going anywhere without it. While we had a spare strapped to the underbelly of our ride - we would not be able to use it without the rim that had just bounced by us as if it were trying to beat us in a race. Those of us who weren't running after our rebel tire climbed awkwardly out of the severely listing van and spread out along the road to wait out the tire repair. One of my friends made a joke as she swatted at the biggest horse fly I've ever seen. "Don't worry about it - at least it wasn't the important tire." I just looked at her for a beat - then I laughed so hard I had to sit down. [I know Filipino humor is not like our own - but I'd been raised in the country and found her statement to be hilarious.]

I think back on her statement now and see a whole lot more in it than she ever intended. Which tire on our van WAS the important tire?

I think WE have two sides to our walk with Christ. We have our faith - what we believe. The thing that motivates us. And then - we have our behavior - what we do with what we believe. Some would argue that knowing Jesus - our faith side, is more important than our behavior side. But I think THAT is like asking which tire on the van is the important one. All four tires are needed if the van is to go anywhere. In our lives, our faith without action is not going anywhere either. It IS important to know Jesus. There is no doubt about that. But here in James - we are reminded that just KNOWING Jesus isn't enough. It's a seed planted that never gets water or sunlight. It's dead in the dirt. It's our dusty old van listing heavily to the right, crippled to the point that nothing can move it. 

Baguio, PI - scariest rd I've ever been on.

We aren't only charged with holding tightly to our faith. We are charged with sharing it. We cannot GO - move forward and plant the seeds of Jesus' Salvation if we are unable to MOVE. We can't go forward on dead faith. 

Maybe today is a good day to chase down that rebel tire and put a little motion into our faith.