Josh wrote:In the average Mennonite church where I live having a big diesel Excursion is, unfortunately, a common way to express pride. These vehicles often have a suspension with a lift on it, emissions and power train altered to get extra performance and maybe roll a bit of coal, and look a lot less "dorky" to be seen driving around in than a minivan.
I am aware of all kinds of benefits of Diesel engines, the Ford super duty platform, etc. I'm just trying to be realistic that the motivation to drive these things is often similar to the motivation to drive a fancy looking and fast sports car, and I can understand a church that wants to encourage its membership not to all go and acquire the biggest, baddest SUVs and pickups possible.
Josh, I do agree. But like most things there is a flip side too.
This vehicle was giving to us and was very useful for moving cross country. I struggled for over a year not liking this vehicle at all and feeling embarassed to even be seen with it. My wife really thought it would be disrespectful to her father if I sold it and when we were living off of about $40/week it would have actually been hard and not affordable to even advertise and with buying another vehicle, paying taxes, etc., to get anything else.
It was hard on my pride having this vehicle as I didn't think it was Christian like to have it. (For a while we only could afford to drive it about 2-3 times a month.). So walking through the snow in NS at -30 Celsius a couple kilometers to work has a way of making one view pride differently.
It can be very prideful to drive an excursion and also very prideful to think I was too Christian to drive one.
I am grateful we had anything and do have anything. If people want to give a Christian things, I think it can be a great way of allocating our other resources to further His kingdom.