More false piety: Doth the preacherman profess too much?

Where in our conversations is God?

Let’s consider how we talk about God in public discourse. It’s uncomfortable to talk about God with total strangers because it’s talk about our most intimate relationship. It’s even more painfully awkward to hear street preachers do a practiced bit about the cross because truly, that’s the most intensely meaningful event in history. We don’t shout the most meaningful things in our lives through megaphones (and Jesus didn’t, either). That doesn’t mean we’re ashamed of the gospel.

Sometimes street preachers look like they’re trying to convince themselves of their faith by the evidence of their own pious enthusiasm; the more worked-up they get, the more deeply they feel it’s all true. Sure, it’s good to tell everyone we can that Jesus loves them. Alright. How about sky-signs? How about North Korea style radio piped into every home?

There’s a better way of doing it. All of the above criticisms stand; I don’t take them back. But they’re the same sort of criticism that could just as well be leveled at poor church services. In other words, this is a criticism of bad worship, full stop.