March 1999

Rules of the road

Here in Vanuatu we drive on the right side of the road. How that came to be is an amusing story, and one that may contain a lesson for us all.

For much of the twentieth century Vanuatu, then the New Hebrides, was governed by a British-French condominium. Agreement on the smallest of issues was hard to come by, including the side of the road on which we drive. Englishmen would drive their horses and buggies down the left side of the road only to meet a Frenchman head-on coming the other way. Neither of them would budge and arguments were rampant. Finally, they came up with a plan. They agreed that whichever side of the road the next horse and buggy getting off a ship drove on they would all abide with that. As luck would have it the next one was driven by a French priest. We therefore now drive on the right side of the road.

When I was back doing my itineration I told this story many times. It strikes me (somewhat belatedly) that perhaps it is a metaphor for our own struggles with others with whom I disagree. So often I find myself stubbornly determined to stay on “my” side of the road, to insist that others use that side as well and that stubbornness often leads to unnecessary collisions. It’s a good thing we don’t have to have collision coverage for our opinions and beliefs. My premiums would be sky high. On second thought, maybe I do pay a premium for my bad driving habits. The premiums are much too high and are not paid in coin-of-the-realm, but rather in anxiety and distance from my fellow humans and from God.

In Vanuatu you see cars with steering wheels on both the left and right side, yet we all must drive on the same side. The placement of the steering wheel has no place in determining where we drive on the road. Whether that steering wheel is left of center or right of center, we have to follow the same rules of the road. It only determines the perspective from which we view the road! (And you can make that statement as politically correct or incorrect as you choose.)

When we get our driver’s licenses renewed, we must study a book and then answer some questions. So too, as we travel down the road of life, we have a book with all the answers. The answers in the Bible won’t help you drive a car but they does give specific instructions on how to avoid collisions with each other and with God. Surely, much of our daily conflict can be lessened by simply following the instructions. Horses and buggies were one thing. High speed cars and guns are another. None of us have fast enough reflexes to dodge a speeding bullet or a car coming at us at 70 miles per hour. Remember the rules say that the other guy has a right to his side of the road.

So, whether you are on U.S. 131 or on the road to Damascus, I invite you to review the driving handbook. As for me, I’m going to work harder toward getting a good-driver discount.

Have a safe and peaceful journey.

David Walter