In the South, we have an expression called “losing your religion.” No, it’s not about deconstructing your faith. It’s more about where you get so mad that you act in ways contrary to your religious beliefs. And nowhere does that happen to me than sitting in traffic.

I can’t speak for your town or city, but Nashville drivers are nuts. And if I’m honest, I’m probably one of them. It’s amazing how aggravated I get over someone else’s dumb driving while I tend to be more lenient on myself. Talk about the ultimate double standard.

Then I discovered a book called Every Moment Holy. And I found within this book an amazing liturgy for road rage. It both convicted and challenged me. It reminds me that traffic may be one of God’s ways of shaping and molding me into a disciple. Slow traffic and bad drivers are God’s way of showing me my lack of patience — while growing that patience within me at the same time.

The worst witness is someone with a Christian bumper sticker who cuts people off and drives overly aggressively and who is generally impatient and rude. I guess it’s a good thing I don’t have any Christian bumper stickers on my car. Not that I consider myself a rude driver, but I do have my not so great moments. I’m thankful the life of faith isn’t one of perfection but of a grace that leads to repentance and transformation.

Traffic can be a crash course in learning how to dispense and receive grace, patience, and understanding to yourself and to others. And yes, that pun was intentional.