Collateral Damage

The fateful crash of the '05-11/12/10

All the leaves are brown..and the sky is grey…

(‘California Dreamin’ from the 1965 album ‘If You Can Believe Your Eyes and Ears’ by the Mamas and Papas)

As the end of the riding season in upstate New York

Becomes more apparent..

                   Snow remains against the hillsides..

                                         The sun no longer rising high enough to touch it.

I am reminded again… of the fateful ride on the ‘05…a year ago this Friday.

 How Today.. 5100 miles later..on another ride..

            I understand the importance of that corner..in more ways than that day.

About Grace.

How some times people run us into ‘the ditch’..

                                           and don’t stop.

And even though we forgive them in deed..

       often the need is still within us to have closure… 

                                        as the victim of  ‘The hit and run”.

              This happens in so many different ways…variations

          of ‘Life”..in this time, in our Spirit container.

We are ‘A Soul with a Body’..C.S.Lewis

How ..there is still a hearts desire..that those who, possibly without knowledge..

                                               did ‘you’ harm..

    that they would be awakened…

            by the many evidences in their wake that you or I can see

                                      but..

 do they really know?

Do they know…they hurt you?

That they trashed out your ride, and left you broken on the side of the road?

                   How it would mean so much to you.. that victim,

 if the reckless driver would just convey something as simple as..

                                                                 ‘I didn’t see you…I am so sorry”.

Grace…is upon me this day…one year later.

This email I typed in 2010, five days after the accident..about those 3 seconds on Friday…Nov. 12 at 4:05 pm

_________

I don't have digital…

1.) The Mercedes Benz had already lost control..

       coming wide.. going off the road onto the shoulder… in my lane.

 as it entered the corner..too fast

 I moved further to the outside..unable to lean into the corner..

          Because I would be leaning into the car..if it tried to get back to its’ own lane..

I’ don't have diddly squat…

2.) In the middle of the corner…its’ back on the road…completely in my lane..

                   I’m dead. I ride the white shoulder line..still can’t lean..I’m dead.

‘It's not having what you want…
3.) The Mercedes lurches back toward its own lane..I am amazed..

                            

                                               I am also out of highway…and here comes the culvert.

               

Then.. everything picked up speed…

It's wanting what you've got.
(‘Soak up the Sun’ from the 2002 album by Sheryl Crow-‘C’mon, C’mon’)

__________________

I viewed approximately 3 seconds of Life…in three distinct frames.

       

                Then I was over the handlebars and on my back…

And people began to appear……

²⁹ But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”
 ³⁰ In reply Jesus said: “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he was attacked by robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. ³¹ A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. ³² So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. ³³ But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him.

       

The Mercedes is gone….and after I inventory my body parts…

                                  I asked a young man to please shut off the ignition switch…as I looked between my feet..

                                                             No longer concerned about that ‘first scratch’ after 6 years.

A brief prayer of thanks…I know I am ok..

        And in the middle of His Grace on my life…

                              I left for very ‘P.Od.’ land….for a brief stay.

ugh..

alright..now I see..

Emergency people and vehicles….nice people..

                        Nobody…from where I used to go to ‘church’…

But ….people.

        People saying…’Paul are you alright’..’Paul here’s a pillow’..’Paul I’ll take care of the bike..’’

                        ‘Paul Lay DOWN!!!’

People from the community where I live.

                                                        They knew me outside of any ‘church’ building.

                Loving me… Helping me..

As I lay there realizing what Jesus had said

                                                       about ‘His temple’..

I was suddenly overcome..

                either delirious or

was having a revelation.

I see it now..

                 As they approach… they reach…I see..

                        ‘The Church’

                                             Oh my goodness…

____________________________________

I hope this leads us all to stop running around every Sunday…

             like for the last 2000 years …

                                                                 basically saying-

                “This is the answer!!!..

      “That is the answer!!!”

                                        “There is the answer!!!”

                                                        waving it like it is some kind of flag..

                                                                           Changing the color of it every week.

                                               As we sit hiding in ‘church’…in Grace

Hey man, ‘you’ and I..

          are ‘the answer’.

                            We are His Church…united on the corner of disaster.

                Once we realize Grace..

                                Once we accept Jesus the Christ as the Way..The Truth…and The Life.

                       

and for me...some 5100 miles later..

                  how little I know about Love.

                                        ‘Growing pains’…I hope you get them.

                                                   ²⁰ “Teacher,” he declared, “all these I have kept since I was a boy.”
 ²¹ Jesus looked at him and loved him. “One thing you lack,” he said………….

       Peace.

Keep me in mind, as I set out on the Electra Glide this coming Friday..

to complete that journey that was..delayed, to top of my tank for the season.

                I know more than yesterday, that we all have a fateful corner in this life to round..successfully.

we can round it together.. in Him