Conceptualizing the Truth
Volvo’s Versatility Concept Car that previewed the C30 did a really good job of hyping the little hatchback. Too good of a job, maybe. The VCC promised:
Performance via a 2.6-liter turbocharged inline-six with 250 horsepower
nostalgia via a glass rear hatch that evoked the P1800ES
avant-garde styling via a full glass roof that met the all-glass rear hatch at the hinge point
Volvo safety via the visible cross-brace underneath this glass roof (and all-wheel drive), and
accessibility as Volvo’s entry-level car.
In some ways the C30 succeeded. It was a fantastic little car, a GTI in designer clothes. But inevitably, some people were disappointed that it didn’t live up to their expectations of what it should be.
Hope is good, excitement is great, but big expectations clear big, Volvo-sized spaces in the heart for things that cannot possibly fill them. This is why unmet expectations can make a person feel empty.
Jesus entered the world knowing people’s expectations for him. Some wanted a political leader. Others wanted to see a miracle worker or sideshow spectacle. The religious leaders of the day had a very narrow view of what the promised Messiah should do and say, and of course Jesus didn’t fit that. Plenty of people would have been fine if Jesus would have just taken care of their physical needs and stayed out of their heart. Shortly after Jesus famously fed the 5,000 people, he checked in with the disciples to see where expectations were – or weren’t – meeting reality.
“When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, ‘Who do people say the Son of Man is?’ They replied, ‘Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.’ ‘But what about you?’ he asked. ‘Who do you say I am?’ Simon Peter answered, ‘You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.’” (Matthew 16:13-16)
Every human could learn from Peter’s sincerity. Every day God asks, “Who do you say that I am?” Every day, opinions are formed of who God is. It’s easy to clear away a specific puzzle piece-shaped space in the heart in the expectation that a puzzle piece-shaped God would fill it.
It’s a simple declaration that’s simultaneously bold and humble. God is God. Peter was looking to God to reveal who God is and isn’t, what he will or won’t do, and how he does or doesn’t operate. He was looking to God to shape his expectations of his own life. If you’ve ever struggled with this, author Paul David Tripp has some advice:
“Pay attention to what happens to your relationship with God as your dreams gobble up more of the turf of your heart. God is no longer the thing that motivates you and gives you courage and hope. God is no longer your source of sturdy joy. The glory of God is no longer the thing that you’re living for. Awe of God is no longer the reason you do everything you do. Sadly, God has been reduced to a delivery system; your Savior has become Neiman Marcus Jesus. If he delivers, you’ll worship and serve him, but if he fails to deliver, you will question his goodness and love, and you’ll have little motivation to offer your life to him.”
Throughout the Bible, God promises to be God and to fill you with hope for what he promises to deliver. He doesn’t make unrealistic expectations of you, but he does sincerely hope that you will trust in him.
The Volvo C30 didn’t follow he VCC perfectly. It lost the glass roof although it had a couple of nifty sunroofs. It didn’t get 250 horsepower and all-wheel-drive, although top variants had 228 horsepower. They’re now cheap enough that budget enthusiasts have modified some well past whatever performance was promised by the VCC. The best ones can be monsters at the drag strip. Now that was unexpected.
John V16 is the confluence of God and cars. Please support our work and donate a V16-powered 1940 Cadillac Series 90 Sixteen to John V16. Or share this article with a friend.
