My bride and I just returned from a mission trip in which we traveled to New Orleans, Louisiana with 14 others to help out a youth ministry that is seeking to reach the youth of the inner city of New Orleans with the truth of the Gospel, and the sufficiency of Christ to meet their every need. Our trip involved a 10-hour drive across the state of Florida through the states of Alabama and Mississippi and Louisiana until we finally reached our destination. There were 12 of us who made that long journey in a 15-passenger rented van.
With 12 people in a rented van, there were four of us who rotated the driving role, and the rest assumed the positions of “perfect passengers”! Right? RIGHT! Not hardly! Within about a half hour of setting out on the trip, the comment came from the rear of the van, “Are we there yet?” That question prompted others such as “When can we stop? I’ve got to go potty!” Or “Can you adjust the air conditioner? I’m too hot back here!”
It was this last comment that prompted me as the navigator/shotgun rider for the first leg of the trip to start pushing buttons to alleviate the temperature issue. That’s when I heard the voice booming through the van’s high definition speaker system: “Welcome to NorStar. How may I help you?”
When I heard those words, first of all, I quickly shut off the system, since we had not paid for NorStar, and since I really did not think NorStar could help us with the air conditioning controls for the trip.
But those words did remind me of an advertising campaign several years ago which featured a popular comic book hero:
While the caped and masked crusader Batman is sliding down the Batpole into the Batcave to get ready for his next emergency assignment, his faithful aide and butler Alfred is describing verbally and visually for him some of the latest changes made to the Batmobile for his improved safety and added convenience. As Batman leaps into the driver’s seat behind the wheel and starts the engine, he asks Alfred how he can access all of these new features. Alfred simply instructs him to push one small button located on the dashboard of the vehicle. As the comic book superhero drives out of the secret hiding place, he does just that, and hears a voice coming from the dashboard say, “Hello, Batman! Welcome to NorStar! How can I help you?”
This commercial was attempting to demonstrate that NorStar could give us help in getting directions from our current location to our desired destination. In fact, another commercial for the same product had a husband and wife sitting in the front seat of their automobile, debating whether or not he is going to “do it.” His frustration comes over the fact that he is a man, and “real men don’t stop to ask for directions!” In the end, he painfully pushes the Norstar button and gets the same response!
But actually we ALL need to seek directions from time to time! As a matter of fact, I personally think it is probably more necessary for some men to do so than women. Now I’m not trying to get into a sexist argument or anything like that. What I am trying to point out is that we all need to know where we are going.
In the days and weeks after the first Easter, when Jesus died on the cross for our sins, and then arose from the dead, those who had been following him and hoping for the Messiah were somewhat confused. They did not know exactly what they should be doing. In fact, Peter, on one occasion, finally decided he was going back to work as a fisherman (Check out John 21:3). But almost as soon as he spoke about going back to fishing, the resurrected Lord appeared and changed his direction forever.
Ever wonder about the direction for your life? That is one question Jesus could answer for himself in a way none of us can. In John 13:3, we read that Jesus had the answers to three greatest questions we all ask of ourselves and God: (1) Where did I come from? Jesus knew that “he had come from God;” (2) Where am I going? Jesus also knew that He “was returning to God;” and (3) Why am I here? The verses tells us that “Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under His power.” In other words, He had come to earth for a heavenly purpose.
You know, that awareness of why he was here gave Jesus, from a human perspective, the stamina, will and drive to complete His assigned task – to go to the cross for all mankind. And that is the message of Easter, isn’t it? – that Jesus came to die for all men, and that He provided a way for a better life for each of us through Him and Him alone.
We may need Norstar to find our way to some out-of-the-way community or address, but Norstar won’t help us to find our way to heaven. God’s guidance system is enough: “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. “ (John 3:16)
God bless ….
Chuck Tabor is a regular columnist for the Wilmington News Journal and Hillsboro Times-Gazette. He is also the former Pastor of Port William UMC and of Faith Community Church in Hillsboro.
