A new sign in front of our building?


A friend of mine is highly offended by trite and whimsical church signs. It drives him crazy, for example, at Christmas time to see this sign in front of a house of worship: Jesus is the reason for the season!

At one time, during my second career as a church organ salesman, I started collecting sayings and slogans and quotations that appeared on these signs. I was going to publish a book of church signs by topic (turns out I was a day late and a dollar short, someone had already done it!).

Maybe it goes back to a cartoon that I remember as a kid. Two small-town churches across the street from each other, obviously competing for members, used street signs in their combat. Said one sign: Will there be any stars in my crown? The church across the street used the words of another hymn to respond on its sign: No, not one. No, not one!

The topic of church signs came up, interestingly, in a recent HUMANITY FOR PRISONERS committee meeting. Members of our board, working on a specific project, were discussing our unique philosophy and work ethic after sharing a photo of a church sign that someone had posted on Facebook. Said the sign:  JUST LOVE EVERYONE. I'LL SORT 'EM OUT LATER - GOD

That’s where we are!

Over our 18-year history we have had some folks claiming religious conviction who seemed to deplore the idea that HFP provides necessary assistance and shows compassion to all prisoners, regardless of the nature of the crime, regardless of their beliefs or lack thereof, regardless of their ethnicity, regardless of their sexual identity…you get the picture. With examples like the Parable of the Good Samaritan in the Bible, it’s been my contention from the very beginning that we’re doing exactly what Jesus would be doing.

That’s the way we operate, and we’re making sure it won’t change.

My dear old friend Mitch, who lives in northern Michigan and who wasn’t well enough to make the trip downstate to attend our open house event at the new HFP headquarters sent his regrets by email today. He said that he was here, indeed, in spirit. And then he added this statement: Jesus hovers above your door!

 JESUS HOVERS ABOVE OUR DOOR

Now that’s a sign I’d be proud to see in front of our building!


Comments

Anonymous said…
"Just love everyone" would be so fitting! Love it! It is EXACTLY what HFP is.
June 7, 2019 at 12:38 PM
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