On Wednesday night I received a Father's Day gift from my son Steve. The package contained a Martin Lloyd-Jones book and a Monergism.com tee shirt. The shirt has a small Monergism logo on the front left (where the pocket would be ) with the phrase "After darkness light" in both Latin and English. On the back it has pictures of Luther, Calvin, Edwards, and Spurgeon with the 5 solas of the Reformation.
So, on Thursday, I wore the tee shirt to school and it created a small stir. I'm not sure if it was all about the shirt. It easily could have had something to do with my manly physique being shown off in a tee shirt, but anyhoo, it got some attention. One person asked, "Is that Latin? What does it mean?" I said," It means after darkness light. It refers to the Reformation." Puzzled look. I said, "It's Christian...." Look of horror! Varoooom! Gone!
Another asked and again I explained and this one said, "Whose are the pictures on the back?" I gave the names and she responded,"I used to be a Lutheran , but now I'm a Methodist." I said, "Oh? That's interesting"(Hoping to find out if the change was for doctrinal reasons, and thereby opening an opportunity for spiritual discussion). To which she responded, "Yeah, the Lutheran church was way across town and the Methodist was just down the street, so we became Methodists." Side note: Apparently in religion as well as real estate it's :LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION.
Another who overheard said, "I'm Christian Science, I think that the problem most people have is that they take the Bible too literally." I said, "Yep, I'm one of 'em." "You are?" "Yep, I preach it verse-by-verse. I take the point of the scriptural passage as the point of my sermon." She said,"One thing I don't do. I don't discuss religion or politics."
Long story short, the Monergism tee shirt didn't make any converts. Maybe next week I will be able to get at least one person to bow his / her head, repeat the 5 solas, and receive John Calvin as their personal theologian.
14 comments:
That's funny.
If location was everything, I'd be a KJVO IFB. They're just three blocks from my house. Instead, we drive 12 miles to the next town. I don't like it, but it's the closest church crazy enough to take the Bible "too literally."
Thirstydavid,
You're right. Location must not be that important in religion, because there are bunches of people living all around our church and almost none of them attend. I'm sure if they would come just one time, that they would come back again and again. Oops! wait a minute! Some of them have been, and they didn't come back. Gee! I dunno!
Were you wearing your Monergism shirt? They may have left out of jealousy for your "manly physique." I'm sure it wasn't the preaching.
Thirstydavid,
Probably both.
I've considered buying one of those shirts. Your testimony of conversations started might push me to get one, even though I don't wear T-Shirts very often. Like Al Mohler said at T4G, some of us need more clothing than others.
Happy Father's Day, daddy!
Thanks Jeremy,
You make Father's Day happy for me.(a statement not a command unless you want to take it as a command)
Interesting that the one who does not talk about religion or politics is the one who brought up religion after overhearing a discussion about it.
I'm not certain people always recognize their inconsistancies.
Joe,
It's also interesting that she suddenly remembered her conviction about discussing religion only after she realized that I wouldn't be a pushover.
I wore a pyro shirt to the amusement park on Saturday (the shirt that I won and you didn't). A few people looked twice at it and cocked their heads, but no conversations ensued.
I'll get a monergism shirt and try that.
Sorry Bug,
I've seen your photos. You're missing the manly physique part of the equation.
Ouch! You're a bully.
That is pretty funny. Location!
It is nice the shirt stirred some reactions (and I'm certain the rippling physique it barely covered was the initial attention grabber).
What I have trouble understanding is how people can thing faith is important, yet not take it seriously. What ever one'sfaith maybe, even if it is preposterous, if it is a core belief, doesn't that imply an important position in one's life?
Not a new thing though, being luke warm. Personally I would rather be warmed by Luke (and Matthew, and Mark, and John)than be luke warm.
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