Reading bike magazines and attending that bike expo really reminded me of how easy it is to get caught up in the idea of culture. I love bikes- all kinds, mountain, road, bmx, single speed, fixie, it doesn't matter what it is, I really enjoy them all. I love to ride them, I enjoy fixing them, I like to read about new technologies, custom frame builders, and other people's experiences. It's inspiring to read about trail advocacy and how others find ways to bring under-privileged youth out on a ride. I'm drawn to be a part of that bike culture and all the positive things it represents.
But then I catch myself. Once again I'm being drawn into something that should not take the precedence in my life that it could. It's a wonderful, healthy activity that does a lot of good for lots of people, but in the end it has no eternal ramifications. Bike "culture" will not really do anything for me to keep me fulfilled. It won't get me to heaven.
And it's not just bike- look around. There's a "culture" wrapped around every pursuit out there- fashion, politics, cars, cooking, even religion at times. There is a constant bombardment of things from the enemy to distract us away from what we're called here to do- bring people to the cross. Can we use these pursuits to share the gospel? Sure. Just don't let them distract us from taking opportunities to share Christ's love.
