Traffic, Idols & Resistance

Traffic is stuck and you’re not movin’ anywhere…

Some inventions come to us as novel tools that help fix a problem. But often, over time, these tools become so numerous that they overwhelm and slow us down. A car is great, but so many of them cause traffic. Traffic is a product of our collective, obtuse belief that there is only one way to function. You have heard it said, "What do you mean we should all bike to work?"

We get stuck in traffic—roads jammed with cars crawling forward, bumper to bumper. We’re late to important meetings, reservations, birthday parties, and work.

Traffic jams exist because we choose them.

It is amusing that sometimes, when you're stuck in traffic, you’ll see someone on the sidewalk beside your car reach a destination faster than you would have. Traffic is expensive, it costs us money, and, most importantly…time. Traffic has a way of demanding the surrender of our imagination and creativity. Even asking yourself, "Do I really need my car?" is bound to cause enough stress to quickly abandon the question.

Some cities in the world treat cars like guests, not permanent residents, and the people who live there enjoy a high quality of life.

like this country!

People who walk or ride a bike to school or work feel more connected to their community. They also benefit from having more eye contact and human interaction. People living in these cultures have said no to the machine, and yes to humanity.

Perhaps we ought to abandon what's weighing us down.

Maybe the issue is greater than automobiles. Cars and traffic can be symbols of the stress and anxiety many of us are feeling today. That feeling of being emotionally congested… tied up, and exhausted. There is a dimension of being spiritually oppressed by great powers that mean to suck the very life out of our souls. Forces that keep us from feeling alive. In my faith tradition, I think of the scripture that says,

“For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world…”

For the sake of this conversation, I will call them idols. What's an idol? I define an idol as anything that has been given more devotion than it deserves. Idols are false gods created by human beings. Idols, despite not having a life of their own, are demanding and give very little back. We live in a world dominated by idols.

Do you really need Facebook, X, or TikTok? Can we live a life free of Amazon? Should Elon Musk have over 7000 satellites orbiting the Earth? Do partisan politics actually make you feel healthy? When we give our time, attention, and money to these companies, we have less to give to others. These brands and platforms have an insidious ability to colonize our energy and focus. We don't fully realize that impact until we choose to confront their hold on our lives.

How much energy have we given these idols? The answer is billions upon billions of dollars and far too many hours. Some of us give more attention to these idols than we do our own families. We are living in a world where brands are allowed to shape how we feel, think, and live. These forces get out of control because we willingly let them.

If I've learned anything from Science Fiction, it's that malevolent machines will always want to assimilate us, and use our energy for their benefit. I have also learned that just like Neo in The Matrix, or the crew of the Enterprise battling the Borg- resistance is not futile.

We are the only ones who can trim and prune the influence of idols in our lives. I like the word prune because it connects with natural and earthy images that belong in the world. But you could also use the word refine. To remove, filter, or reduce what you don't need to receive something of value.

You and I are not powerless. We have tools, and as long as we can cultivate our imaginations to imagine possibilities, we can clean up the emotional traffic that we find ourselves in. For me, this has looked like:

Use this function on your phone!

1) Restrictions in place to limit my use and access to time-draining apps on my phone. I decided on time restrictions by asking myself, “At what point is it ridiculous that I’ve given this app more attention than humans?” Most mobile devices have this feature. We should use them to resist.

2) I avoid purchasing from Amazon. As much as possible, I try to purchase from a store. For me, purchasing online and picking up in person counts. I tend to use Amazon as a search engine if I’m looking for details on a product, and then I’ll search for it locally. Yes, this has meant that sometimes I will have to wait for something to arrive, but this waiting has not resulted in my death. I don’t have the energy to overthink this, I’m just doing my best to shift my interactions from websites to real humans.

3) I maintain a healthy suspicion of partisan rhetoric. I believe politicians have the capacity to help, but I just don’t see it happening right now. Their messaging caters very well to those who enjoy… “The traffic”. At this point in my life, staying informed is a much slower but satisfying process. I read books.

This is the battle, my friends, but it’s a battle that’s won in surrender. It’s time to leave the traffic jams behind us and embrace life ahead, not just for ourselves but for those around us.

Thanks for reading!

Notes:

This post was inspired by Rob Bell’s podcast episode “Official What We Do 2025.” I hope it inspires you as much as it did me.

I’m also reading Curbing Traffic: The Human Case For Fewer Cars in Our Lives. Very encouraging and insightful. I already love walking and riding my bike, but I now want to do more.