Who's that clown?

It happened a few weeks ago. I was walking through the leafy suburb of Norton on my way to get a lift to watch Sheffield United play at beautiful down town Bramhall Lane. As usual I had on my replica red and white striped shirt, and my sheff utd scarf and “where’s wally?”  Sheff Utd bobble hat, (a real winner on the terraces!!). A small child in a push chair  with her mum saw me and pointed at me and said very loudly “Look mummy there’s a clown!”

Now I know many might think that supporting the Blades means I must be having a laugh but after my initial amusement at this I reflected on my faith. I make it crystal clear where my soccer allegiances lie when I dress up, but as a Christian I’m often in camouflage! Now I’m not suggesting I start dressing like a mormon missionary (who often look like the “men in black” agents!), nor that I wear a dog collar like a parish priest, but I wondered how could I make it clearer that I’m  a Christian to those around me?

 

Recently I discovered that someone who works on the shops near our building didn’t realise that a church meets in Unit3. Mind you I also found out about a man who for 20 years lived on a local estate within 50 yards of the Methodist church and hadn’t realised that was a church building either! We’re camouflaged from our society!

 

Mind you the problem can be in “dressing up”  for our faith people can get the wrong idea as to who we are as well! Some of our evangelistic bumper stickers and t shirts are a tad cringe-worthy!  Maybe in being “salt” and “light” and “yeast” in society we aren’t always visible, but people know when we’re missing…