When music icon, Paul McCartney was arranging his 2005 “US Tour”, he selected Lexus as its main sponsor. An avid advocate for environmental stewardship, McCartney singled out Lexus because they made, “environmentally responsible” cars.
The 37 show tour proved to be quite lucrative for the Japanese-based company...so much so that in 2008 Lexus decided to give McCartney one of its LS600H cars -- a $150,000 gas/electric hybrid.
The auto maker decided to deliver the sedan directly to McCartney in his native England. In order to do so, Lexus chartered a cargo plane to fly the vehicle from Japan to Great Britain.
The carbon emissions from that flight equalled 300 around-the-world trips with the LS600H. In other words, the amount of pollution created by the car’s delivery could never possibly be negated by its environmentally-friendly hybrid technology.
How preposterous.
The gesture was genuine. The sentiment was solid. The delivery, however, was discordant. The logic and logistics did not match up. Everything both parties were trying to represent was wrecked by how they went about the car’s conveyance.
I wonder how many times we end up doing the same thing.
There are situations when I know I intend to convey a certain message but, because of how I go about things, I end up sending very different signals. In much the same way, I fear there may be times in my life when what I say I believe may get contradicted by what I do.
I wonder how many times we end up doing the same thing.
There are situations when I know I intend to convey a certain message but, because of how I go about things, I end up sending very different signals. In much the same way, I fear there may be times in my life when what I say I believe may get contradicted by what I do.
Me delivery is just as important as my desire.
Ephesians 4:15 tells me to, “...speak the truth in love...” I must be careful to never use what I know to be Truth as a weapon. How can I properly convey the message of a God who is Holy, loving and gracious if the way I’m delivering the message is anything but those things?
Similarly, how can I claim to be “spiritually responsible” and live my life in a way which contradicts what God really wants from me?
It made no sense for Lexus to be so irresponsible in its delivery of McCartney’s car. In a very real way, it undermined the entire partnership and principles for which it stood. Likewise it is just as preposterous for me to do anything which is contrary to the heart of what God really wants.
I’ll never be on a U.S. tour...and I’ll definitely never be able to have a Lexus delivered to you. But, maybe this little reminder will be more valuable...to both of us:
It made no sense for Lexus to be so irresponsible in its delivery of McCartney’s car. In a very real way, it undermined the entire partnership and principles for which it stood. Likewise it is just as preposterous for me to do anything which is contrary to the heart of what God really wants.
I’ll never be on a U.S. tour...and I’ll definitely never be able to have a Lexus delivered to you. But, maybe this little reminder will be more valuable...to both of us:
Ephesians 4:3 We can be sure that we know God if we obey his commands. 4 Anyone who says, “I know God,” but does not obey God’s commands is a liar, and the truth is not in that person. 5 But if someone obeys God’s teaching, then in that person God’s love has truly reached its goal. This is how we can be sure we are living in God: 6 Whoever says that he lives in God must live as Jesus lived.
Outstanding!
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