A PERSPECTIVE ON PERSPECTIVES

This is a photo of a 1921 Ford Motel T 2 Chemical Tank Fire Truck
Moe spent 20 years rebuilding it. It was the oldest privately owned vehicle in New York State. He drove it in many parades.
Following his death it was donated, by his wife, Maxine, and Son, Moe, to
the Melrose, NY Volunteer Fire Department
(Cousins Bob and Dianne are shown with it)

There are several ways to look at varying perspectives. One is with a humorous slant.

My oldest brother, Roy, who was a pastor, came home to visit the family. He was having some problems with his car stalling. One of my other brothers, Moe, who was a mechanic, started to remove the carburetor to overhaul it. The wrench slipped and his knuckle smashed against the manifold. He shot out a couple of cuss words.

Roy told him, "With a mouth like that you could never become a preacher."

To which Moe responded, "Yes, and with a mouth like yours you could never become a mechanic!"

I imagine from reading this humorous anecdote, you are thinking that Moe had a foul mouth. In reality, that was not the case. It was only in a knuckle knocking situation that a cuss word would come out. No, Moe, was a gentle man with a tender heart. Let's look at him from another perspective.

I remember when we were young, regardless of his situation, (we were poor growing up) he would always find money to buy my mother flowers on special days. As an adult he did the same for his wife.

The anecdote is also misleading in that Moe preached sermons every day through the life he lived. At one time he owned his own garage. One of his customers, a Probation Officer, approached him one day to see if he would hire a juvenile delinquent to work for him and teach him how to become a mechanic. The older teen had been arrested for petty theft and shop lifting. The Probation Officer was certain the young man was headed to jail if he didn't straighten out. Gentle hearted Moe, who knew how to interact well with teenagers, agreed to hire him.

A few weeks later, Moe had to leave work early. He turned to Tom, handed him the keys to the garage, and asked him to close up, including counting the cash receipts. Tom looked at him and said, "Moe, didn't my Probation Officer, tell you I am a thief, I was arrested for stealing?"

Moe responded, "You’re not a thief now, you are my right hand man. I'll see you in the morning."

Tears ran down Tom's face. While working for Moe, Tom enrolled in mechanic classes and became a certified mechanic.

Not only did Moe live his faith on a daily basis, he also had an opportunity to preach a sermon. The text he used for his sermon is found in Matthew 5:13-16 (NKJV) "You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men. You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lamp stand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven."

His message follows:

First, to get things rolling in an auto, you get a good spark. In the Christian, the spark is the turning of your life over to the Lord and leaving it in his hands.

When a Christian has the Lord on his side, he has the fuel to go forward. For an auto, as you know, there are two kinds of fuel: high test and regular. In the Christian, you have two types also: the high test Christian, who is a strong type and the regular type, who is the weaker of the two.

When you have the fuel, the next thing you need is lubrication. In the automobile, it makes things run smoothly. It is the same in the Christian's life. In the automobile, it is grease and oil, but in the Christian, it is the Holy Spirit.

To run smoothly on the road, good steering is necessary. A guide to good steering of an auto is the American Automobile Association. This association guides the driver in the best roads and aids if he has car trouble. In the Christian steering is done by the Lord through the church and even more important, prayer.

Through prayer, the Lord lights your path, while in the automobile the headlights serve that purpose. Prayer aids through darkest troubles while headlights guide in darkest night.

Today, the body of an auto is streamlined in design which adds to its beauty and aids it to cut the wind and push ahead without as much effort. In a Christian, the body design is his way of living. If you live a true Christian life, you are able to aid weaker Christians and help them to face and defeat the storms of life. Your Christian character is your body design.

An automobile needs good brakes to keep it from danger and becoming involved in accidents. A Christian needs good brakes to avoid the sins of the world. His brake is the ability to say no to worldly things, and yes, to the Lord.

And last, but not least, is the horn. In a car the horn gives warning to the pedestrians that you are coming. The horn of a Christian is his testimony. His testimony tells a sinner of the coming of the Lord.

The closing hymn for the service was "Stepping in the Light"

I believe Moe's sermon reflects the truth of his Christian life in a language he understood as an auto mechanic. His life exemplified his basic Christian beliefs which he carried out in his daily life through service to others. As a master mechanic he followed his master's voice in helping others travel the road of life.

In taking a look at my brother Moe's life it makes me pause and reflect on how I relate my experiences in life to my daily walk. Does my poetry and writing reflect my understanding of Christ's great love toward all of his creation? Do I walk daily in love showing respect to others and honoring God's great creation?

May I raise the same questions with you? How do you apply your knowledge of God and his Word to your work and your walk?

You see, it is all a matter of perspective. What will your focus be upon today? Let's walk in the Light as He is in the Light.

Hugs, In Christ's and My Love,

Don E. Cunningham, author/poet 1101 words ©4/15/08