A Car Key, Jason DeRulo, and Community

So, in the past few weeks, I went through the harrowing experience of getting a new car. Extremely grateful? You bet your sweet noodle! Somewhat frazzled over the craziness of the situation? Refer to the answer to the last question. But that's another story for another post.

In any case, I was looking over the owner's manual of my new vehicular transportation device (what a few people might recognize as a car), and I saw something that I had always suspected was true: pressing the unlock button once opens the driver's door, and you have to press it twice to unlock all the doors. Is it strange that I only realized this after almost three years of driving? Probably. Stop making fun of me.

Why do we have this setting? Vehicular transportation device manufacturers (AKA car-makers, for those few who know them as such) realize that a lot of the driving in the United States is done alone. Since this is the case, it just makes sense. Why would you unlock all the doors, when you just need the one? That would be redundant. (SAT word. Keep following me, sport.) Despite multiple attempts by the government and other organizations to get us to start carpooling, the reality exists that these manufacturers still expect us to be the solitary body in our cars. We even take pride in our lonesome drives. If we didn't, we wouldn't have the words of modern-day, existential philosophers like Jason DeRulo:

I'm solo, I'm ridin' solo
I'm ridin' solo, I'm ridin solo, solo

It would be a crime to not have such profound words. Anyhow, this all goes back to the individualistic bent that America insists on feeding.

"Don't you think you're making too large of a philosophy based off of your car key alone?"

Probably, but you're almost done reading this, so you might as well keep going.

I love me some United States. Trust me, I do. But however much I believe in its strengths, I must also acknowledge it's weaknesses. And one of the greatest weaknesses we face is this idea that we were somehow meant to pull ourselves up by our own bootstraps, be a lone ranger, and do it all on our own. I'm sorry, but it's just not true.

Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted. Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. For if anyone thinks he is something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself. (Galatians 6)

Ladies and gentlemen, we were built for community. It is ingrained in us to need each other. We were meant to carry the problems, struggles, and temptations of others in prayer. God made us so that when life presses too hard, we have the firm grasp of those who are holding on to us when we can't hold on to ourselves.

 "All I need is God!"

Yeah, but God is gonna get to you through other people. So be there for one another. Pray for each other.

And when you bear one another's burdens, bear them all the way to Calvary.

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