Mick Jagger says: "Hey you get off of my cloud."
The Scottish Christian says: "Hey McCloud get off of my pew."
O.K., so I may have mixed up that joke with another, but either way, this provides an apt lead in to my gripe about Christian advertising, specifically when the common man uses his own lifestyle to let others know of his faith. But the problem is that normally every time we make a bold declaration, we need to be sure that we know who we are representing. Let me give some examples that I have come across recently.
Example #1: Many churches like to distribute magnetic decals or bumper stickers for their members to attach to their cars. These same folks then take to the roads and drive like absolute maniacs. They wildly switch back and forth from lane to lane cutting others off and running lights. I am sure that when other folks spot these church decals or bumper stickers and witness this type of selfish and aggressive driving, they just might find another reason to deny Jesus because of his followers.
Example #2: Many churches like to distribute t-shirts to their members as a perk for volunteering. These same members then wear these t-shirts out in public all the while cussing loudly like sailors on shore leave or otherwise just being loud and obnoxious. Do they think that folks don't see the message advertised on their clothing and then develop a negative opinion of Christians and their God?
Example #3: Many Christians when asked about their faith by folks who they are trying to impress will respond by denying their Lord with lines such as, "I go to church, but I am not some kind of zealot." What kind of message does that send to outsiders?
I often think that if we continue to act like we normally do, Jesus would much prefer us to discard those decals and bumper stickers, that we zip up our jackets when we go out in public, and that we keep our mouths shut when talking to others about him.
