Truth in Advertising

Found here

Years ago when I moved to Southern California, my sister and brother-in-law used to drive me through various towns to give me a sense of my surroundings. There were the desert towns that were very hot (and that left me cold!) and also quaint old money suburbs that were enchanting. I particularly loved going up to Oak Glen, or "Little New York" as it was called at that time. It smells like apples year round and it is much greener than down on these dusty plains.

To get to Oak Glen, one has to drive through Yucaipa, a bedroom community of the city of San Bernardino. It is in the foothills and until 10 years ago, it was not much more than a collection of disheveled little houses of older people. What always struck me were the little white signs that so many people had at the edge of their lawns on the street. These signs had Bible verses printed on them. A person could get nearly a full Bible chapter just by driving up California Street. We used to chuckle at the randomness of these verses, wondering what they hoped that passersby might gain from reading them.

I didn't think about it for years until we moved here two years ago. It is a wonderful little town now since hundreds of new homes, landscaping, and businesses have augmented this place. The other day though, I noticed some of those little signs sticking out of someone's lawn in an older section of town. As I drove I read, "He that believeth and is baptized will be saved, but he that believeth not shall be damned." Down a little further, I came across this one: "It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God." I'm wondering what effect the homeowner hopes the latter verse will have on people driving by. How about this cheerful message: "Because you have rejected knowledge I also reject you as my priests; because you have ignored the law of your God, I also will ignore your children."

What kind of seeker after spirituality might be attracted to something like this?

I remember one of the members of my childhood church put up a billboard on the edge of the junkyard he owned. It read, "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life." This verse always struck me as rather ominous, but I suppose it depends on the perspective and needs of the people who drove by.

The sign down the road caught my eye this morning: "It is written, "I believed, therefore have I spoken."" What on earth can this mean to someone who is unfamiliar with scripture? Other than giving drivers a good laugh as they look over at it. What is the intended effect of this? What kind of representation is this of Christian beliefs for people who don't know anything about how Christianity? Will they have heightened ideas of the love of God? Will they be intrigued about Christian beliefs enough to go home and pick up a Bible and start reading? Or does it simply create a caricature of Christians?

Meaningless remarks, signs, and depictions can actually negate the positive witness of Christians. The sad thing is that we all do this: indelicate jokes, non sequitors in reverent settings, retaliatory remarks in response to strong comments of others. These things dilute what Christianity is and how others might perceive it. What impression do you give of Christianity and your walk with God? Is the message clear? Does it pique the interest of other people? I ask myself this every time I drive past these unusual little signs.