Bumper Stickers

For some reason, my attention has been drawn to bumpers stickers on vehicles as I am driving. I ask myself questions like, "What does this person hope to communicate about themselves?" or "Do they really think that a person is going to be radically changed by this message?" or "Why do they feel the need to post the resume of their kid's activities on the back window? However, my favorite ones are, "In case of rapture this car will be unmanned," or "CAUTION! Non-exposure to the Son will cause burning," or "Got Jesus? It's Hell without Him."

First, if our faith can be slapped into a slogan, put on a sticky piece of vinyl, then what are we doing? When was the last time the weight and power of the Gospel that was purchased through Jesus landed on someone as a result of one of these silly stickers? Is the Gospel so diluted and our desire as Christians to 'evangelize' so polluted that we believe that these 'proclamations without explanations' are suitable and honoring to our King Jesus?

Secondly, it's not just the bumper stickers that bother me. There are deeper implications. If it were just these arrogant, yet content lacking stickery statements, that would be one thing. But what is becoming more alarming for me as I travel is that people don't have much more to say than what these stickers are saying. Most people serve as what I like to call "Prophetic Parrots" wherein they say stuff they have heard other people say. Hear me, I do that too, however, before I go repeating stuff, I strive to think about what was said, how it measures to the truth of Scriptures, and how I can say it in a manner that is honest and edifying to the person I am sharing with.

It is time that followers of the living Christ be able to communicate the weightier, life-transforming, all powerful truth of the Good News without resorting to over-used and under-realized cliches. From the outside looking in, we are a bunch of people who are quick to flap our gums about God's love and scream of Hell's fire in the same breath (or bumper sticker). If we say we have been born again by the real and living Jesus Christ, shouldn't we have something more to say than, "Turn or Burn!"? Shouldn't we draw near to the living God through the illumination of His Word by the Holy Spirit? Shouldn't we think through what we believe and why and struggle to find ways to communicate these truths in ways that are consequential rather than borderline ignorant?

If you have a bumper sticker, I'm not advocating that you necessarily go rip it off the car (unless it is one of the ones listed above). I want to encourage you however, to understand that our call to "As we are going through life to make disciples of all nations..." requires more than bumper sticker evangelism. How I long to hear more and more people have such a consequential faith that their words and actions become consistent rather than overwhelmed by the marketing of overly useless novelties...

Question: It seems that some who call themselves Christians like to hold picket signs to 'show the love of God or His righteousness...' However, I have been thinking... Why hasn't anyone gone to Golden Corral (or your favorite all you can eat buffet) and sit with a sign that reads, "Eat to live, not Live to EAT!!!"? They could wait for anyone who appears overweight to come back for seconds, and they could publically humiliate, I mean show the love of God to the ever increasing group of people who have a 'life-style' sin of gluttony. I'm definitely not advocating this, but it seems curious to me the things that we invest our time and hatred towards...

I'd love to hear your thoughts...

Lord help us...