My little John Deere kept throwing hints I should get two detachable forks for its front-end loader. Pursuing that grand idea led us to Rusty’s Welding. Rusty called later to ask if the engine had been shutting off unexpectedly. It hadn’t, so the tractor deserves accolades for breaking down in a good spot.

Rusty discovered the cause was a clogged fuel filter. The resin-like coating he found prompted him to inquire if the tractor had been sitting idle for a while. That wasn’t the case, but I knew what had happened. The diesel in the tractor had come from our farm tank and was several years past its expiration date. The root of the problem was contamination.  

I had recently changed the filter on the tank’s electric pump. The flow was slow so I figured it needed replacing. When that didn’t resolve the matter, I removed a metal screen from inside the pump’s housing. Hundreds of tiny holes, designed to trap particles as fuel passed through, were almost impenetrable. But after cleaning the screen with a wire brush, the flow was not much better.

Unsure of what else to check, I removed the pump from the tank. The bottom of the four-foot intake pipe was covered in heavy black grime that had hardened. There was no way for adequate fuel to be drawn through the opening. The stopped-up pipe, however, was only a symptom of the real culprit, contamination. 

Besides clean fuel, engines need fresh air too. I learned that during my childhood on the farm. One day Julius Bembry, who worked with my father, was blowing compressed air through a breathing element he had taken off a tractor. We had been picking peanuts, a dusty job, so filters needed frequent cleanings.   

While blowing the dust away, Julius saw a teachable moment for the kid helping. He explained that air filters are like the hairs in our noses. They help prevent dust from going where it might cause more harm. The bandana he kept in his back pocket offered another layer of protection when needed. 

Clogged filters of any sort can prevent equipment from operating optimally. And if we’re using fuel that’s past its prime or working in dusty conditions, the filters need more frequent attention. Ignoring the basics can lead to severe problems. The same is true of life.

Television is a good example. During my childhood the Federal Communications Commission provided an effective filter for viewing options. The three major networks, CBS, NBC, and ABC, rarely offered anything that wasn’t suitable for the entire family. That was partly due to regulations, but also because traditional Judeo-Christian values were generally embraced by the media, advertisers, and viewers. 

The Andy Griffith Show was a staple in many households. Father Knows Best, My Three Sons, I Love Lucy, Leave it to Beaver, and My Favorite Martian were also popular. Gilligan’s Island,  Green Acres, and The Beverly Hillbillies are just a few more of the dozens which were regularly watched. Clean entertainment was the norm. Now it’s the exception.

 In a documentary I recently watched on Netflix, a man was asked to comment about a settled legal case involving Pepsi and a Harrier Jet. He laughed and said he would have to temper his language for television. The person interviewing him responded, “You can say anything you want.” Filters for vulgar language, licentious behavior, and graphic violence are practically gone.        

The entertainment industry has few boundaries, except those dictated by profit goals. Filters are now mostly self-imposed. That’s not easily done, but a positive example was offered some time ago in our men’s Sunday School class. A member shared his conviction that if a show was inappropriate for his teenage daughter, it wasn’t suitable for him either. 

Even the best filters, however, can fail. That’s why it’s important to carefully choose the fuel that nurtures our souls. I have no control over what others may consume, so my focus needs to be on what I’m taking in.

Filters can help to some extent, but a better option is to keep our spiritual tanks filled to the rim with the cleanest fuel possible. The root of the problem is contamination.