HippoChurch

In the guise of doing no harm, could we do a little reality check on what’s posted on roadside church signs? Now, posting your service times or something uplifting/encouraging, not an issue - great, go for it. But, what in the world are some people thinking with some of the junk that’s posted? Is that really what they’ve chosen as a representation of God to those who don’t know him personally? How many “turn or burn” quips or verses of condemnation do you seriously think it takes before you’ve so “tenderized” someone’s heart, that they pull into your parking lot with tears streaming down their face asking you for forgiveness?

Two points here:

1. People slinging condemnation at others does nothing but polarize. If you think it’s going to draw them closer to the God they need to know, please explain how you react to unsolicited criticism from people with whom you have no relationship? Seriously, how does it make you feel? It ticks you off, doesn’t it? Usually, it turns you against whomever is making the statement. Well, the same thing happens with some of the thoughtless things posted on church signs, and the whole Church suffers as a result. Everyone Jesus met was condemned without Him, but that’s not what He smacked them in the face with. He always met them where they where and revealed the hope offered in following Him.
2. It wasn’t a typo above when I wrote “people ask you for forgiveness”. We know God is actually the one from whom people need to receive forgiveness, but there are some freaky control issues that lurk among “religious” people. Religious people primarily believe you get to God through the conduct of your personal behavior, i.e. you conduct yourself well enough that God accepts you. Now, at first glance, that seems rational. But, reality tells us that it’s all too human. We are the performance-based ones. We are the ones who only extend acceptance if someone acts “right”. Thankfully, God’s ways are higher than ours. He can look at the most hardened, distasteful heart and see what can happen if it were only exposed to pure grace and mercy - the kind He offers, not the performance-based kind we extend. He’s looking for “the turn” of a heart toward Him and is perfectly capable of completing the rest of the work.

Religious people are looking first for good behavior, for which they then might extend acceptance. You see the difference? One is inviting. One is excluding. Religious people putting pithy, excluding statements on signs are in effect saying, “If you act ‘good enough’ for me first, then we’ll see about your standing with God next.” Ouch! If you’re making these signs, do you really want to be in that boat? Stop and think, “Do these words invite or exclude?” Let’s be inviting and help begin a good work that God can finish.