by Arville Earl----------
Hearing that terrible, abrasive, thumping sound, coming from my car’s transmission was a disgusting experience, to say the least. The mechanic’s explanation was that the synchromesh system “isn’t syncing and meshing the way it’s supposed to”. Translation: The synchromesh system, when working properly, allows the automatic transmission to change gears smoothly and without the unwelcome noise, as described above. In the case of my vehicle, the teeth on one of the sprockets inside the transmission had worn down; it would not engage when the gears changed.
The solution, of course, was to replace the transmission since this part could not be repaired. The car would be ready around 6:00 pm and either cash or credit card would be acceptable.
On the way home that evening, I was listening ever so intently for the slightest irregularity, but was thoroughly relieved to hear only the quiet, unobtrusive hum of the transmission’s synchromesh system “working the way it was supposed to”.
Well, here I am struggling again. Two passages of Scripture keep demanding my attention, and I want them to coalesce, to interweave “synchromesh” style.
First there is the Acts 1:8 passage: “And when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, you will be able to be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and all over Samaria, and to the ends of the world.” In the second passage, I Corinthians 9:19-23, we find these words: “I have voluntarily become a servant to one and all in order to reach a wide range of people: religious, non-religious, meticulous moralists, loose-living immoralists, the defeated, the demoralized, whoever. I didn’t take on their way of life. I keep my bearing in Christ. But, I have entered their world and tried to experience things from their point of view. I have become just about every sort of servant there is in my attempt to lead those I meet into a God-saved life. I did all this because of the message. I didn’t want to just talk about it. I wanted to be in on it.” (Scripture quotations are from Eugene Peterson’s New Testatment paraphrase, The Message).
The questions are by no means new, and even though I am not the first to ask them, the questions do still remain and loom very large indeed. How can I live my life in this place, among these people, in such a way that the message of the gospel comes through as authentic, desirable, and applicable? I cannot shake off this unmistakable calling as a witness to God’s grace and truth, as revealed in Jesus Christ. Yet, when it comes to the actual implementation, in such terms as the Apostle Paul describes, I am hesitant. What kind of risks will be involved if I accept this role of servanthood? Can I allow myself to be vulnerable? Am I prepared for this life-changing experience?
If I do this, I will be embarking upon a journey that will take me over unpaved roads and unmarked trails, the destination of which extends far beyond what I have come to know as my comfort zone. Is this a test of faith? If so, am I willing to have my faith tested to this extent. Am I ready to take the steps necessary along the way that will engage my faith and stretch it to new limits? Is more faith or a different kind of faith needed, as compared to those days, back then, when I first heard Jesus say, “Follow me”?
Yes! The struggle continues, but just now, I am remembering something else that Jesus said, as if he were anticipating all this anxiety. I hear him saying, “Trust me”. That’s it, isn’t it? I hear it again, just as clearly, “Trust me”; whatever happens next, “Trust me”.
Oh! What’s this? The gears are shifting more smoothly now. I don’t hear that grinding noise as much anymore; I think the synchromesh is beginning to work.
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