Signs of the Times

There’s a billboard not too far from our home that features a fresh-faced 20-something’s smile, and not much else.

Most of the advertising space surrounding the relatively small feature photo is blank, save for the following text:

“Listening. Caring. Doing the right thing.”

That’s it. No advertiser name. No sponsoring organization. No phone number or Web address. No identifying information whatsoever. Just six words, a head shot, and a lot of white space.

Why? Why invest the time? Why impose on the graphic designers? Why spend money to develop and erect such a resultless visual experience that can’t possibly sell anything or direct potential customers anywhere?

Then I recalled the Sunday during my seminary years when my faculty advisor accompanied me to worship to get a feel for how I was doing “in the field.” On the return trip to Lexington, our evaluation conversation eventually turned to the sermon I had preached that morning. He liked my delivery, thought I was well prepared, and that I had said some good things. But then he asked why my sermon could not have been delivered at a convention of the American Psychological Association.

It was not a knock against the APA, but a necessary corrective to the foundation of my sermon. What was it, my advisor wanted to know, that made what I had said a proclamation of the Christian Good News? I had cited no Scripture. I had hardly invoked the name of God. It was, he rightly noted, a speech more than a sermon, an inspirational halftime pep talk more than a faithful declaration of the Word of God.

What he wanted to know was why passer-by listeners would conclude there was anything particularly “Christian” about my sermon. The truth was, they wouldn’t...just as passer-by drivers cannot conclude there is anything particularly...anything about the billboard near our home.

When we fail to connect our actions to our motivations we devalue our motivator (Jesus), and virtually guarantee that others will credit us for blessings not of our creation. Feeding hungry, visiting sick, building homes, or donating to disaster relief efforts without identifying Christ as our cause invites the world to think highly of us – which feels nice, but is wrong – rather than the one who has already fed, visited, rebuilt, and donated his life to us. Such identifications, in isolation, will convince few if any to connect to Jesus; but without them, the spotlight will never shine on its only deserving target.

Years ago someone told me Christians must never speak the name of Jesus without also doing a good deed, AND they must never do a good deed without also speaking the name of Jesus. That is, make a difference to people, then make it clear why you’re doing so.

Or, in billboard-ese: Listening, caring, doing the right thing...in Jesus’ name.


Pray with me:
O God, St. Francis of Assisi asked you to make him your instrument -- do the same for us; just leave such a strong imprint of your hand on our us that when we fail to credit you, others will have no trouble seeing the truth. You are an awesome God. In prayer we give you praise and glory. Today, in life may we at least give you recognition. In the name of Jesus, Amen.