Ninure Saunders
2006-06-23 03:42:57 UTC
(~) Mistaken Identity
Bumper Sticker Christianity
A man was being tailgated by a stressed-out woman on a busy boulevard.
Suddenly, the light turned yellow, just in front of him. He did the right
thing, stopping at the crosswalk, even though he could have beaten the red
light by accelerating through the intersection. The tailgating woman
immediately hit her horn, screaming in frustration as she missed her
chance to get through the intersection with him.
As she was still in mid-rant, she heard a tap on her window and looked up
into the face of a very serious police officer. The officer ordered her to
exit her car with her hands up. He took her to the police station where
she was searched, fingerprinted, photographed, and placed in a cell.
After a couple of hours, a policeman approached the cell and opened the
door. She was escorted back to the booking desk where the arresting
officer was waiting with her personal effects.
He said, "I'm very sorry for this mistake. You see, I pulled up behind
your car while you were blowing your horn, waving your fist at the guy off
in front of you, and swearing at him. I noticed the 'Choose Life' license
plate holder, the 'What Would Jesus Do" bumper sticker, the 'Follow Me to
Sunday School' bumper sticker and the chrome-plated Christian fish emblem
on the trunk. Naturally, I assumed you had stolen the car."
Ouch! We are often eager to communicate our faith by putting cute little
bumper stickers on our cars or by wearing jewelry that contains Christian
imagery. And there's nothing wrong with that unless we think that the
bumper sticker and jewelry can serve as a substitute for actually living a
Christ-like life. Few people will be converted by a bumper sticker. But
people WILL be impacted (and perhaps eventually changed)by those who
contstantly attempt to be kind, giving, compassionate, tolerant....
And, just as surely, people will be repulsed by a religion that allows the
hypocrisy of talking about God without the desire to livethe kind of life
Jesus modeled.
"What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no
deeds? Can such faith save him?.....But someone will say, 'You have faith;
I have deeds.' Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my
faith by what I do." (James 2:14,18)
May Christ shine through you in what you do and what you say today
(whether you have a bumper sticker or not).
Have a great day!
. =====================
--
Pax Christi,
Ninure Saunders aka Rainbow Christian
Jesus is my Shepherd and He knows I'm Gay
http://Ninure-Saunders.tk
My Yahoo Group
http://Ninure.tk
Universal Fellowship of Metropolitan Community Churches
http://www.MCCchurch.org
The Bible Site - help provide free scripture
http://www.thebiblesite.org
To send e-mail, remove your hat
Bumper Sticker Christianity
A man was being tailgated by a stressed-out woman on a busy boulevard.
Suddenly, the light turned yellow, just in front of him. He did the right
thing, stopping at the crosswalk, even though he could have beaten the red
light by accelerating through the intersection. The tailgating woman
immediately hit her horn, screaming in frustration as she missed her
chance to get through the intersection with him.
As she was still in mid-rant, she heard a tap on her window and looked up
into the face of a very serious police officer. The officer ordered her to
exit her car with her hands up. He took her to the police station where
she was searched, fingerprinted, photographed, and placed in a cell.
After a couple of hours, a policeman approached the cell and opened the
door. She was escorted back to the booking desk where the arresting
officer was waiting with her personal effects.
He said, "I'm very sorry for this mistake. You see, I pulled up behind
your car while you were blowing your horn, waving your fist at the guy off
in front of you, and swearing at him. I noticed the 'Choose Life' license
plate holder, the 'What Would Jesus Do" bumper sticker, the 'Follow Me to
Sunday School' bumper sticker and the chrome-plated Christian fish emblem
on the trunk. Naturally, I assumed you had stolen the car."
Ouch! We are often eager to communicate our faith by putting cute little
bumper stickers on our cars or by wearing jewelry that contains Christian
imagery. And there's nothing wrong with that unless we think that the
bumper sticker and jewelry can serve as a substitute for actually living a
Christ-like life. Few people will be converted by a bumper sticker. But
people WILL be impacted (and perhaps eventually changed)by those who
contstantly attempt to be kind, giving, compassionate, tolerant....
And, just as surely, people will be repulsed by a religion that allows the
hypocrisy of talking about God without the desire to livethe kind of life
Jesus modeled.
"What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no
deeds? Can such faith save him?.....But someone will say, 'You have faith;
I have deeds.' Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my
faith by what I do." (James 2:14,18)
May Christ shine through you in what you do and what you say today
(whether you have a bumper sticker or not).
Have a great day!
. =====================
--
Pax Christi,
Ninure Saunders aka Rainbow Christian
Jesus is my Shepherd and He knows I'm Gay
http://Ninure-Saunders.tk
My Yahoo Group
http://Ninure.tk
Universal Fellowship of Metropolitan Community Churches
http://www.MCCchurch.org
The Bible Site - help provide free scripture
http://www.thebiblesite.org
To send e-mail, remove your hat