31 Aug, 2010
Everywhere a Sign
Britain being overrun by signs
(Reuters) - The British government has declared war on the profusion of unnecessary road traffic signs, railings and advertising boards, saying they blight towns' English character. Communities Secretary Eric Pickles and Transport Secretary Philip Hammond has written to local council leaders in England, calling on them to cut the number of unsightly signs and other "street clutter." Even traffic lights are in the firing line.
Ministers want the public to inform local authorities of particularly bad examples of excess signage, to clean up the national landscape. "Our streets are losing their English character," Pickles said. "We are being overrun by scruffy signs, bossy bollards, patchwork paving and railed-off roads -- wasting taxpayers' money that could be better spent on fixing potholes or keeping council (local) tax down."
The government says that in some cases traffic signs are installed by councils in the mistaken belief they are legally required, when they are not. Hammond said the abundance of so-called street furniture often makes towns resemble "scrapyards," confusing motorists and obstructing pedestrians. For signs to be most effective, ministers say, they should be kept to a minimum.
Matthew 16:1-4 (NLT)
One day the Pharisees and the Sadducees came to test Jesus, demanding that he show them a miraculous sign from heaven proving his authority. He replied, “You know the saying, ‘Red sky at night means fair weather tomorrow; red sky in the morning means fair weather all day.’ You know how to interpret the weather signs in the sky, but you don’t know how to interpret the signs of the times! Only an evil, adulterous generation would demand a miraculous sign, but the only sign I will give them is the sign of the prophet Jonah." Then Jesus left them and went away.
What does God’s Story scripture teach us about signs?
The religious leaders of Jesus’ day did not buy into who he was. Instead of their hearts being open to him, realizing their need for him, their hearts were hardened, only interested in his ability to prove what he said about himself. In response to their request for a sign, Jesus rebuked them.
While they were certain of the weather based on signs in the sky, they refused to be certain about him based on signs he had already performed. Furthermore, Jesus’ greatest sign was yet to come. Just like Jonah only spent three days in the whale, Jesus would only spend three days in the grave, after which he would rise again, clearly showing himself to be God.
How can we connect God’s Story scripture to our lives?
Do we really buy into who Jesus is? Or are we, like the religious leaders of Jesus’ day, only interested in him proving himself to us? Are we withholding our trust from him in some way, waiting on a particular sign before we will truly be willing to obey him? If this is where we are, then he wants us to realize that there is something more that he wants from us.
Our faith in Jesus should not be based on some further sign that we want him to perform, like working out a certain situation to our liking or removing something difficult from our life. He wants us to realize that his greatest sign was that he overcame sin and death in order to offer us new life and walk with us through anything that may come our way.
How can we connect today’s story, God’s Story scripture, and our story to others?
Today’s story reminds us that too many signs only creates clutter and mess. God’s Story scripture reminds us that Jesus has already performed the one sign that reveals who he is. What signs are your friends looking for? Are they looking for Jesus to further prove himself while overlooking what he has already proven himself by rising from the dead?
It is the privilege of those who have already experienced the living reality of Jesus to share him and what he has done with others. Our willingness to trust him through thick and thin, convinced that he has already proven everything he needed to prove, will be a refreshing reminder to those around us that they can too can place their faith and trust in him.
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