ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS
March 28, 2026
Church signs, and specifically the thoughts congregations put on the signs, can be thoughtful, inspiring, and even a bit edgy at times. Some churches spin cultural references, make puns, or some even use language that invites a little fear. Of course, my favorite things are the mistakes, misspellings, or not taking a close look at how the sign is going to be perceived by people. I laugh, though I must confess my own number oopses. As you can imagine, people send me funny church signs all the time, but one that I had not seen before read:
We Love
Hurting People
I’m pretty sure the intention was to suggest that they love people who currently find themselves hurting, but that’s not the way it reads. And even more concerning is that a lot of people who have left church altogether would suggest it is entirely accurate to read it as a church that really enjoys hurting people.
In Proverbs 18:21, we read: “Death and life are in the power of the tongue; those who love it will eat its fruit.” Even though the author is referencing the spoken word, it is important to remember that 95%+ of people who were the original audience did not read, so congregations would have heard this read out loud. So as we modernize this Proverb, maybe an option would be: “Death and life are in the power of what goes on the church sign, and those who find it loving and life-giving will eat it like fruit.”
In general, those of us seeking to follow Jesus need to be very mindful of our language. None of us will be perfect, but when we are a little uneasy about how something might be perceived, choosing silence and a smile might be the best option.
Give me a whole of wisdom along with an awareness of when to be silent, whether spoken or written. Come, Holy Spirit, and help me so that I don’t make a mess of your Gospel message. Amen.
