Pastor injured during motorcycle sermon

KOKOMO, Ind., July 23 (UPI) -- A Kokomo, Ind., pastor said a sermon didn't necessarily go wrong when he plunged into the pews on a motorcycle -- it just went differently.

Pastor Jeff Harlow said he was giving a sermon on "becoming one" and was using motocross videos as an example of how riders "become one" with their motorcycles before he attempted to ride out onto the pulpit from behind a curtain, the Kokomo Tribune reported Wednesday.

Instead, Harlow and his bike plunged into the first row of pews, causing the pastor to suffer a broken wrist and laceration to the head. However, he said the accident was a perfect illustration of his sermon.

"Relations don't come easy," he said after the incident. "It takes time and effort. I proved it with crystal clarity. I was not one with the motorcycle."

Harlow explained that the throttle was more sensitive than he was expecting and he lost control of the bike. He said he was thankful no one else was hurt -- especially since the pew he hit was where his wife usually sits.

"Our eyes locked as I was coming off the platform," he said. "She leaned one way and I leaned the other. I was hoping I didn't hurt anyone but me. It was a scary moment. I was immediately embarrassed."