For those who first became conscious of cars in the golden age of the American automobile, the approach of autumn makes the heart beat a little faster. I suppose this is also true for car enthusiasts who came of age much later. Car magazines still roll out fall issues each year promoting the new models, and I still read them. But back when Volkswagens were an oddity and Toyotas had never been heard of, when the only real argument was about Fords and Chevys, the new models were a much bigger deal. I can still identify at 50 yards every model year of Ford and Chevy between 1955 and 1966. Try doing that with the last decade of Nissans and BMWs.         

Not for a minute am I contending that those old cars were better. I am so glad they don’t make them like they used to. I expect to get 250,000 miles at least out of my 2003 Mazda—an utterly outlandish concept 40 years ago. But cars back then were more fun. If you don’t believe that, just google “1959 DeSoto.” All right, I’ll grant you a 500-horsepower Viper is serious fun, but it’s not serious fun I’m talking about; I’m talking about automobile design as an exercise in cartooning. Car designers today are just way too serious to create real visual funniness (the Pontiac Aztec might be an exception, but it’s not funny—it’s tragic).         

Despite my lifelong interest in new cars, there is a lot of new stuff I don’t like so much. I suppose you would expect a 50-something guy to say he’s not that thrilled with every new electronic gadget that comes along. But there really is a difference between infatuation with cars and infatuation with electronics. As a kid with no money, I could be entertained for hours just by looking at new cars. Try that with a laptop or an iPod or an Xbox. Go ahead. Just let it lie there on the shelf, and gaze at it. Fun, huh? Still, if you live for the next new electronic gadget, who am I to argue?        

But I do have a question for both you and me: Can a person who is drawn to new stuff like a mosquito is drawn to flesh ever find a passion for something as static and unchanging as the Bible? At first glance, it might seem like a tough question, but it’s really not. The answer is: of course. Every reasonable person who is fascinated by the new models of anything also values old things.         

Not long ago my wife and I bought a house built in 1927. Before we bought it, we had it inspected. The thing I most wanted to know was the condition of the foundation. I love old, solid foundations that haven’t changed in decades or even centuries. They’re not pretty. In fact, most foundations are ugly, and they’re mostly buried. But a solid foundation is a wonderful thing.         

One of the experiences a person enjoys while traveling in Europe is walking around inside buildings that have been standing for hundreds or even thousands of years. In Rome, the Pantheon—completed in A.D. 126—remains an architectural marvel. Fully intact, it stands majestically beside a busy city square, welcoming tourists every day. It also serves on Sundays as a Christian church.          

The problem with most new models of anything is that they grow old and stale and are quickly replaced by the next new model. That’s okay. It keeps the magazine industry afloat, and it’s kind of fun. But when you consider marriage, for example, is it the new models or the old ones that are treasured most? I’ll grant you that celebrity marriages—and breakups—also keep the magazine industry humming, but I’ll put my 33-year-old model up against Jen whoever and Ben what’s-his-name any day. Okay, I know, those names are so 2005, but I guess that helps make the point, doesn't it.

Whether it’s cars or buildings or marriages, the best things in life are those that survive the test of time. Such is the case with the Bible and its message. Consider 2 Timothy 2:19 (NIV): “God’s solid foundation stands firm, sealed with this inscription: ‘The Lord knows those who are his.’”     

And this in Romans 8:38-39 (NIV): “I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

I still like cars. They’re entertaining and useful. And electronic gadgets are indispensable in our world. But can such things measure up against the value of the Bible’s eternal message of love and acceptance? It’s not even a close call.

B.W.