God's Coaching #220

God's Coaching #220

Pork and beans are delicious. Pork and car is a little weird. But that’s the idea behind the annual Pig N Ford Race at the Tillamook County Fair in Tillamook, Oregon. The winner of this yearly race is the person who can make it three laps around a track while driving a Model T Ford with a pig on his or her lap. Yep, a live animal. As in, “This little piggy went to the races.”

The county has been holding this ridiculous event since 1925 when a couple of farmers had to chase down some pigs and thought, Hey, good idea for a race. Some of the same cars and families have been competing since the beginning. Competitors start by running across the track, grabbing a 20-pound porker and hand cranking their engines. Pause for a moment and remember that the Model T was the first affordable car built back in 1908—way before auto ignition. Okay, back to the race: next the drivers jump into their cars, drive a lap, turn off their engines, put the pig back in the pen, grab another pig, and do it all again, three times. Phew! There’s a lot that can go wrong in this race, and it usually does. No word on what the pigs think, but they do seem to squeal with delight.

What’s the Score?

You’ve probably grown up eating bacon, pork chops, or carnitas burritos. But the early Christians didn’t. Pigs were declared unclean in God’s law, so the Jews wouldn’t touch them. That was a smart move, because it meant they were obeying God. That all changed when God sent Peter a vision and told him that Christians could eat anything: “The voice spoke again: ‘Do not call something unclean if God has made it clean’” (Acts 10:15).

That doesn’t sound like a big deal in our world of pizza and microwave meals, but it was huge for Peter and the early Jewish Christians. Why? Well, it showed that Jesus had brought freedom from the old law. He fulfilled and completed the old law so people like us can connect with God without having to follow tons of rules and regulations. Jesus gave us the chance to know God personally. The next time you bite into a bacon, lettuce, and tomato sandwich, remember you have extra reason to thank God.

On the Ball

Can you imagine trying to follow all of the Old Testament laws? Thank Jesus for coming and setting you free from so many rules. Celebrate your freedom by cooking bacon and eggs (or another favorite meal) for your family.

Coach’s Comment

The voice spoke again: “Do not call something unclean if God has made it clean.” Acts 10:15