What Convinced Me that the Dodge Viper is Sweet

“My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power, so that your faith might not rest on men’s wisdom, but on God’s power.”
(1Cor 2:4-5 NIV)

If I saw a brochure about how cool the Dodge Viper is, I would be impressed at the graphic design and the cool pictures.

If I saw a video or a commercial about how cool the Dodge Viper is, I would remember the cool music and the effects and the things the narrator said.

When I was in high school, my homeroom teacher had an extra ticket to the Indy 500. Since my name is Danny Sullivan he couldn’t believe I had never gone to the Indy 500, so he took me along.

I forget what year it was, but it was the first year that the Dodge Viper was the pace car. It was also the first year that the pace car required no special modifications to be a pace car. They took a normal Dodge Viper off the assembly line, painted it and stuck the flashing lights on it, and it was ready.

Our seats were way way WAY up high on turn three. Mr. McWilliams was right, they were the best seats on the whole track. From up there we could see most of turn 2, the back stretch, turn 3, the last leg, and most of turn 4.

There is all kinds of pagentry before the race, all kinds of cars going around showing off famous people that are there today, and recordings of Gomer Pyle singing and stuff, then an old lady says “Gemaa, staa jah enaaas” and everyone goes nuts.

The pace car drives around a few times and the announcer talks about it. We all look at it and oooh and aaaah. then all the indy cars drive around behind it a few times. Then they say that the next time they come around, they will start.

Everybody cheers as the cars come around turn 2 and the race is about to begin, and the pace car gets out of the way.

But it doesn’t just pull over.

It was in 4th gear, going about 100 miles an hour, and when they shifted it into 5th on turn 3, it burned rubber and disappeared.

Everyone on turn three didn’t cheer for the start of the Indy 500 like the rest of the track. Most of the people gasped or yelled out 2 word references to God or things that are Holy.

And then the race began. I don’t remember who won. I don’t remember many events of the race. I don’t have any of the free junk that was passed out to me that day, but over 10 years later, I get goosebumps remembering the start of that race.

And when I play my PS2, do you know what car I pick?

“My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power, so that your faith might not rest on men’s wisdom, but on God’s power.”
(1Cor 2:4-5 NIV)

When we talk about Jesus, may people never remember what we said or how we said it. May they never be impressed by our graphic design or our cool video effects. If they experience Jesus Himself, they will remember Him forever.