Imagine roaring down a snow-covered path on a powerful snowmobile. Snow and ice cover the lush pine trees surrounding you, dropping icicles your path as you stream between them. Oh! What an ideal setting for…

But wait! It’s not winter! It’s summer, and here in Watkins Glen it’s blazing hot! Why is there a snowmobile in our campground?

We weren’t the only ones puzzled. It was the talk of all of our neighbours, and no one could stop staring at it whenever they passed that particular campsite.

One morning, as my boys and I were walking by, a lady from the snowmobilers campsite called out to us. I hesitated before responding. After all, you never know what summer snowmobilers might do to you. My curiosity got the better of me, however, and we walked onto the campsite.

“You must be wondering why we have a snowmobile on our campsite,” she began, laughter in her voice.

“Uh . . . It’s all right,” I babbled. “Everybody is different. We understand…” (Better get out of here guys!)

“We are from Canada and snowmobiles are quite pricey in our country.”

Also being from Canada, I couldn’t argue with her on that point!

“We found this snowmobile on Ebay at a fraction of the list price, and we drove down to Vermont to purchase it. We’re on our way home, but wanted to visit Watkins Glen before crossing the border.”

It’s amazing how easy it is to jump to wrong conclusions! Here was a completely normal snowmobile on its way to its new home. Although being the wrong season had raised our suspicions, it was all legit, and it even made sense. Why hadn’t we thought of this before?

Many perceive Christians in the same way we perceived the people who were camping with a snowmobile in the middle of the summer: “Something must be loose in their heads!” We have been labelled “Jesus freaks” (Funny, I kind of like that label!), “simpletons” (I like this one as well. We should all look at life with the simple eyes of faith!), and “weaklings” (Now you’re starting to get on my nerves!).

Here’s how Paul put it: “The Message that points to Christ on the Cross seems like sheer silliness to those hellbent on destruction, but for those on the way of salvation it makes perfect sense. This is the way God works, and most powerfully as it turns out. It’s written, I’ll turn conventional wisdom on its head, I’ll expose so-called experts as crackpots. So where can you find someone truly wise, truly educated, truly intelligent in this day and age? Hasn’t God exposed it all as pretentious nonsense? Since the world in all its fancy wisdom never had a clue when it came to knowing God, God in his wisdom took delight in using what the world considered dumb – preaching, of all things! – to bring those who trust him into the way of salvation.” (1 Cor 1:18-21 The Message)

In other words, people just don’t understand us! “How could they be worshipping a criminal who died on a cross 2000 years ago?”

Simply this! Jesus was NOT a criminal. His only crime was to oppose the hypocrisy of the day (Perhaps it would do us good to have someone like that in our day and age!). He was the Son of God, and His purpose for coming to Earth to live among us was just that: To die on a cross! He knew this was the only way to provide life eternal to those who accepted His offer. Jesus isn’t dead and buried! He’s alive! Three days after his death, He rose from the dead and was seen by more than 500 people! And I can personally affirm all of this, because I have experienced Him firsthand in my life!

“The first thing I did was place before you what was placed so emphatically before me: that the Messiah died for our sins, exactly as Scripture tells it; that he was buried; that he was raised from death on the third day, again exactly as Scripture says; that he presented himself alive to Peter, then to his closest followers, and later to more than five hundred of his followers all at the same time, most of them still around (although a few have since died); that he then spent time with James and the rest of those he commissioned to represent him; and that he finally presented himself alive to me.” (1 Cor 15:3-8)

Jesus is willing to share His resurrection power to anyone who believes in Him. Wow! It sure is refreshing to experience Him in such a way!

“I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength, which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms…” (Eph 1:18-20 NIV)

We may look foolish in the eyes of the world, but we know better, for we have experienced His power, as well as His personal friendship, in our lives. He is so awesome!

My friend, if you do not know Him, it still isn’t too late to invite Him into your life and experience real, exciting living. You will become proud to be called a “Jesus freak” because you will have experienced Him first-hand and nothing will be able to take away that joy!

By the way, I have since discovered that many snowmobile owners do indeed use their snowmobiles in the summer. They use them to drag race on grass, strips of asphalt, and even across water! The water experience would be quite unique, don’t you think?

Who wants to come with me on a summer-filled snowmobile of faith? It is an unique, exhilarating experience, believe me!

Rob Chaffart