As you know a lot has been happening on the Crane front these days. Is there still a presidential election going on? Of course there is. And this marathon election will be going on until little Emma graduates from college, it seems. Thankfully, it's almost over. :)
Recently, at the Sarah Palin event here in Indy, local organizers had piles of Mitch Daniels (Indiana's incumbent GOP gubenatorial candidate) political yard signs available for people to take. So I grabbed one. A few days later, I secured a McCain/Palin sign as well, and both signs are now prominently displayed in our front yard.
Interestingly, Jean and I had a similar reaction to joining the swelling sea of yards signs that are swamping our national landscape. Despite my willingness to exert my opinions into the public forum, I was somewhat surprised to discover that I had even a slight hesitation about actually putting up the yard signs. Jean expressed a similar sentiment. "Why?", I wondered.
We both discussed this strange sensation and realized that it centered around the idea of what one might call, full-disclosure. That is, in our neighborhood many people appear to be more liberal (based strictly on my observation of those little cues that we all process about one another, not necessarily based on concrete evidence per se). Perhaps our neighbors have made their own observations about us and have determined our conservative bent. I don't know. But regardless, the presence of the yard signs has eliminated any doubts about where we stand politically.
Until you put a yard sign on your property, people can make whatever assumptions they want to about you. Once that yard sign (or bumper sticker) shows up, your stance is clearer.
We've talked alot in the last few days about labels and much of the baggage that is often attached to various political labels. And the Republican (and conservative) label is no exception. In this polarized political climate, there seems to be a tendency by Republicans (and conservatives) to almost apologize for being a conservative, as if there is something wrong with that. That, combined with our natural human tendency to want to be a part of the majority, fuels our reluctance to stand up for our convictions.
All of this got me to thinking, "What about my spiritual convictions?" Would I be willing to put a yard sign in my front yard which advertised my Christian convictions--something like, "Christians live here"?
In any political season, our political allegiances often overshadow the things which matter most. As important as my political convictions are to me, my religious convictions should matter more. But what would people think of me if I were so bold as to put up a yard sign about my relationship with Christ?
If we Christians live our lives the way Jesus would want us to, there should be no hesitancy to advertise our Christian faith to others. On the contrary, however, if there are glaring inconsistencies between our supposed Christian faith and the way live our lives before others, then we have reason to hide our faith within the walls of our own private life. But is that what Christ wants of us? Not according to Matthew 5:16, in which Jesus admonishes the people, "In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven."
Our lives are our yard sign about our Christian faith. And unlike the political season, we have yard signs in our yards at all times whether we realize it or not. In fact, as I've written before, the way we live our lives represents the greatest apologetic for the truth (or falsity) of Christianity.
I wonder, what does your yard sign say about you? 
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