Do Not Pass Me Just To Slow Down

I’ve long been a little allergic to brandishing symbols of my Christian faith. When I was a youth, I had a beloved cross that I used to wear around my neck. The chain for it was broken whilst I took a thrashing at the hands of a playground bully in the sixth grade. For many years afterward, I refrained from adorning myself with anything that reflected my beliefs.

It wasn’t until I was received into the Orthodox Christian Church that I again wore a cross necklace, though this time I typically keep it positioned under my clothes and out of sight.¹ I’m mindful of the admonition in Matthew 5:15 not to hide your lamp under a bushel. However, I’m also cognizant of my own imperfections and the danger of being a negative witness. I aspire to make sure people know where I’m coming from, as in my blog description, but I’m wary of being showy about it.

I never want to be the person with the Jesus fish attached to my car that cuts you off on the highway. There are enough Christians out there now who serve as discouragement from engaging with the faith. I’m concerned about adding to their numbers. Maybe that’s unfortunate, and I should be more bold in my identity as long as it’s rooted in something good. I’m still not sure.

Ironically, I was thinking these very same thoughts on a morning a couple of weeks ago as I drove to church. In the midst of interrogating my feelings, a van was riding my tail on the highway in a way that made me uncomfortable. Eventually, though I was going slightly over the speed limit, the van went around me to pass in the left lane. Enscribed on the side of the van in big, bold letters was something like, “Jesus is my salvation!”

1. It was a gift from my sponsor, a brother-in-Christ whom I love, and a very meaningful object to me. ↩︎