IXOYE anyone?

We've all seen them. The little fish on the back of every good Christian's car. Or how about the bumper stickers? "God is my co-pilot." Or the one-upper "If God is your co-pilot, who is at the controls?" Or how about "Jesus loves you. Everybody else thinks you're an idiot!" I actually like that one.

I have a real problem with the rest of them. "What would Jesus do?" You can bet your life he wouldn't spend his money on bumper stickers professing his faith. Much to the contrary, he'd keep it to himself, except to go forth and minister to those who needed it. Now, I know its ok to be excited about something you are involved in. I've got Bengals bumper stickers on my truck, and support them every Sunday they are in town. I love the game of football, and even though I was born in Baltimore, and secretly cheer for the Ravens, when they are in Cincinnati, I am screaming "Who-DEY!" as loud as everybody else. And that is really all the bumper stickers and little fishies are, a way to say "I am excited about my faith".

But they do expose people a little too much. Christians have the fish. Some spell it out, some are empty. Then, the atheists chime in with their Darwin amphibean. So some Christian gets offended and one-ups the atheist with a Truth fish eating the amphibean. I like to think of Jesus as being the answer when Obi-Wan's instructor says, "There's always a bigger fish."

I can hear Jesus saying, "Don't waste your money on buying things to show me what a good Christian you are! Go out and do something with it instead. Buy that homeless guy a hot bowl of soup, or put him up in a hotel for the night. Sit down and dine with him, and tell him what I am all about. Then I will know you are sincere."

You don't have to go around eating up atheists with your truth fish. Instead, why not take them out for some seafood?