This newest P.O.'d Cast looks into this subject.
I was once a missionary. I would preach the gospel from house to house. Sometimes I would walk around populated public places and start discussions. That was the least effective way to promote conversion. Rather, peaceful lesson and member support were the ways to do it. It did not always end in a baptism, but it was effective and life changing.
It seems to me that most other people have alternative methods of sharing their beliefs. It usually involves rock bands, poorly produced videos, even more poorly drawn fish, or even ranting and raving at traffic. There is a right way and a wrong way to spread salvation. And the wrong way can cause more harm than doing nothing at all.
Recently, I was stopped in traffic. Just as the light was about to finally turn green, an officer of the law pulled into the center of the intersection to direct traffic. The lights were working fine. He didn’t look like he was getting trained. So why the interruption? Ah, a caravan was coming through. Maybe a funeral? Or a high ranking diplomat passing through Guam on his way to a government that really matters? Neither. It was what I call a “Honk for Jesus” campaign.
Like I said, I’m all for spreading the word of God. And I think that we have gone a bit far with the whole separation of church as state deal. But using our government paid officers to hold up traffic to annoy the tax payers with an un-ignorable parade of bible thumpers is just a bit much for me.
I was working. Conference was coming up. I was trying to get to get things done so that the people of Micronesia could hear the word God through His chose leaders via satellite. That was a message that would actually save someone. Not a blue collar parade of bondo laden pickups.
As much as one would think this inspires thoughts of Jesus, it actually inspired other thoughts…none of which I would admit to in church. I was tempted to honk at them. But then I came to the conclusion that they would probably think that I was supporting them. That was NOT the idea I wanted them to get.
I think we need to petition the car manufactures of the world to make two horns for every car. One with a “Happy Honk” and one with an “Angry Honk.” This was an Angry Honk occasion and a neutral honk was too ambiguous for my emotional state.
I am not P.O.’d Casting this just because I love a good soap box, I mean this. If you are so diluted that you think tying up traffic, making incorrectly spelled banners with bad grammar, and tying balloons to your side view mirror is going to save anyone, I hope you are not my surgeon some day. There is a right way and a wrong way to spread the word of God. And they have not found the right way.
The last car had a sign reading “Jesus Saves” and the only thing that came to my mind was, “Too bad he couldn’t save me from this, ‘cause I’m P.O.’d!”
1 comment:
You've got to wonder sometimes if God ever looks down at his strange, strange children and just shakes his head, wondering when we're going to grow up and get a clue...
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