MinusCar Hits the Road

A local adult Sunday school class is following these FaithLink study guides. It’s a guide that “not only motivates Christians to consider their personal views on important contemporary issues, it also encourages them to act on their beliefs.” The important contemporary issue for today was American’s love affair with the automobile, and I was there as a show-and-tell to hopefully offer a little something in the form of encouragement.

I offer a short description and criticism of the study guide below, but first it is necessary to mention how cool it was to sit with a group of people and dialog about many of the ideas found within this blog. The move from cyberspace to realtime/realpeople was refreshing. That this could happen on a Sunday morning was greatly encouraging as well.

Of course, not everyone was comfortable with the topic. It’s highly likely none in attendance will begin riding a bicycle for utility, and I’m just guessing but I’m pretty sure there was at least one SUV driving mom with two or three kids amongst the small group in attendance. I’ve been used to that discomfort for a long time now…it takes me back to the the time my friend and riding buddy arrived to meet me for lunch…alone…in his Ford Expedition.

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The study guide began with cars and “The American Love Affair.” It segued quickly into the similarities and differences between Katrina and Rita, and “Class and Access” and who has cars (relatively rich) and who doesn’t (relatively poor). It moved from there to the high cost of gasoline and finally to a lengthy description of the (somewhat?/relatively?) bold “What Would Jesus Drive (WWJDrive)?” campaign.

Unfortunately the guide ended by letting readers off the hook with a sidebar on the back page that contained statements from the guide authors describing how taking public transportation to their jobs would be unreasonable for them.