No way!
August 28, 2009 (Friday)
I have been looking a pictures of the new Ford Taurus for 2010. It is highly recommended by some people as a great improvement over the very popular and successful Taurus of the past. As I looked at a photo of its sleek interior, it made me think of a spaceship, from its beautiful full-color map in the instrument panel, to its leather-padded gear shift nob that looks like it could control the ascent of the vehicle from its runway.
Then another picture came to mind, that of Henry Ford’s first car, a “quadricycle,” manufactured in 1896. They called it a “horseless carriage,” and indeed it looked like one. When you stared at it, you could almost see the horses being led away from it so the little engine could provide the power. A long lever with a shiny knob took the place of the reins, giving the driver control of the front wheels so that turns could be made. The driver usually wore goggles and something that looked like a rain suit to protect him from the grime of the road. Quite a difference between the horseless carriage and the 2010 Taurus.
The design change in automobiles didn’t take place overnight. It has taken well over a hundred years, and has been gradual. Little by little, year by year, changes were made on the basis of the experiences of the drivers and the desires of the customers.
I can’t help but think of the differences in churches from 1896 to 2010. A lot has changed with them, too. Just as people drive different types of cars, so people choose different kinds of churches. For many reasons. We drive the kind of car we like, and we leave it to others to choose their kind. We just try to keep moving and stay out of each others’ way. Actually, many of us like to do church that way, too.