Ford, Ferrari and Faith

Henry Ford and Enzo Ferrari were rivals, and a movie about them is coming out this week. Their relationship helps us understand what the apostle Paul says in his teaching about law and faith. Moses (Law) keeps us safe; Jesus (Faith) leads us to maturity.

Every June, near the town of Le Mans, France, one of the most prestigious auto races in the world is run. Called “24 Hours of Le Mans,” it is one third of the Triple Crown of Motorsport, along with the Indianapolis 500 and the Monaco Grand Prix.

“Gentlemen, start your engines.”

Or, as they say in France, “Messieurs, démarrez vos moteurs.”

Le Mans is full of tradition: A French tri-color is waved to start the race, and then jets fly over, trailing blue, white and red smoke. Safety flags are waved during the final lap of the race, congratulating the drivers and other finishers. But safety itself has not always been a tradition — in 1955, one of the cars crashed into a crowd of spectators, killing more than 80 people.

In 1949, the Ferrari company claimed its first Le Mans victory. This Italian sports car company was founded by Enzo Ferrari 10 years earlier out of Alfa Romeo’s race division. Ferraris quickly became dominant,...