For Wilshire Baptist Church
The words on the citation couldn’t be more embarrassing: “Speeding in a school zone.” It conjures a mental picture of a vehicle racing past a school with children screaming and backpacks flying. But, if you look closer, it says the posted speed was 20 miles per hour, and my speed — yes, MY speed — was 23 mph. Not so dire after all, but still a violation.
It happened on a road that I travel almost daily, so I was already braking toward 20 as I came to the flashing yellow light. Still, I was at 23 as I crossed the line, and a police car turned out of a side street and pulled me over. I didn’t argue or try to explain or anything like that. I followed his instructions, and as he left, he said, “Thank you for your courtesy.” I wanted him to know that while on paper I was a dangerous speed demon, I still had good manners.
To soften the blow, I slogged through a six-hour online defensive driving course to clear my record and cut the $300 fine in half. In the process, I found myself refreshing my knowledge, learning new statistics and getting some eye-opening information about new vehicle technology that helps keep us safe.
When I got back out on the road for the first time after finishing the course, my eyes were wide open and my senses were tingling as I spotted potential hazards everywhere. I didn’t realize how much I had been driving on autopilot. I was ready to wag my finger or toot my horn at everyone that changed lanes suddenly, followed too closely, rolled through a stop sign or was texting while driving. And I wondered about the number of drivers around me who were impaired. After all, the statistics I just learned indicate that 42% of all car crashes are drug related; 28% of vehicular deaths are caused by alcohol.
Driving on autopilot is dangerous when you think about it. Not being reckless or thoughtless, but just not being in the moment; being zoned out and unaware. It can lead to crippling or even deadly crashes. But what if we apply this to other aspects of life — or even life itself. It can be heartbreaking to look in the rearview mirror and realize what we’ve missed.
Looking back through time, I’m pretty sure I was on autopilot through most of my 40s; just bouncing along and enjoying whatever happened and not worrying too much about missteps or missed opportunities because I had plenty of time ahead of me in which to make adjustments and corrections. It was only when sickness and death invaded my world that I began to wake up and start living more intentionally. In that regard, LeAnn probably has gotten the best version of me because I’ve been more awake and aware these past dozen years.
I think the same thing can happen to an organization, a community, a school, a business, a church. It can roll along on autopilot and miss opportunities to grow, improve, experiment, and in the process discover better ways be in the world and serve the world.
The ugly side of coming off autopilot and being fully engaged is the holier-than-thou attitude it can bring. I’ve always been an opinionated driver – “Turn on your lights! Choose a lane and stay in it! Park or move on!” – but I upped it a few notches after taking the defensive driving course. I became as self-righteous as someone who has just quit smoking and is telling everyone around them to “butt out or else.” Or, dare I say, as judgmental as a new Christian who has been set ablaze with the spirit and is ready to admonish everyone around them who has strayed or become complacent.
At the same time, maybe there are some truths to be learned from those who recently have flipped the switch from autopilot and have made a fresh start. Perhaps we can be reminded of the basics and recommit ourselves to being better friends, better employees, better disciples, better drivers.