Drive-By Christianity

I am not a big fan of bumper stickers. First of all, I just don't like clutter. Secondly, I think they try to say too much, which usually makes them offensive in the context of a "drive-by relationship." This is especially true with religious bumper stickers. I can't stand the ones that say things like "Abortion Kills" or "Who Would Jesus Bomb?" First of all, Jesus would never have put a bumper sticker on his back or on his donkey. He came to teach, to show people love, and to offer them hope of salvation. Some of the things He said were not easy to hear, but he didn't just shoot out a few hard-to-hear words and zoom away. His teaching was in the context of relationship and was ongoing. If you were a person who was struggling with guilt of an abortion, would you be helped by reading "Abortion Kills"? No, it's not helpful. It's just mean-spirited. What would be helpful is to know that Jesus forgives and things can be different for you in the future.

I live in a very conservative state. We are one of the only states who actually picked McCain to win the election. There are some good things about that, but I see a lot of those bumper stickers. I also see a lot of "Christian" businesses in my neighborhood. Down the street we have Savior Storage. What does that mean? If you don't pay your bill, your stuff will be gone in 3 days? Or it's guarded by angels? Or we've already paid the price for your storage since we know you can't? We also have Grace Waste Removal. I guess their motto is, "You deserve to live in your trash, but we'll take it away anyway." Today I saw a truck for The Paint Saint. I'm just thinking I'd rather that they just do a good job painting than that they stand around praying while I'm paying them. There's nothing wrong with these names, but like the bumper stickers, I think it's more important for your life and relationships to reflect your faith than a name on the door. If you have a religious bumper sticker on your car but you're driving like a maniac, it's probably better to just not have that on your car. Or if you have a religious label on your business, you better show up when you are scheduled and have good ethical practices. The only business name I've seen that actually makes sense is Petrat Construction. Petra means "rock." Jesus called Peter "the rock" and told him that He was going to build His Church on this rock. That makes sense for construction, at least.

I'm not suggesting you change your business name or tear all the bumper stickers off of your car. I'm just encouraging us to live out our faith rather than having a drive-by Christianity that wounds rather than heals. See what happens when I'm without a computer for a week? I have had too much time to think and am burdened with lots of extra words. Hopefully the rest of this blog has helped you get to know me somewhat so these aren't drive-by words either. So here's a thought to leave you with. I'm sure this will lift your spirits somehow.