Seeing this message gave me pause.
This is a shirt for sale that popped up in my Facebook feed. I "think" I kind of... sort of... get the gist, but not really.
If the message of this shirt is meant to relay “I’m broken, but I’m still showing up”, which is the best case assumption for this promotion, then OK, maybe, but even still, it's an uncomfortable and major fail. In fact, just saying "I'm broken, but still showing up" would have been a much more successful and spiritual message to promote. Instead, the promotion of this message fails miserably. It edifies the behavior, on the heels of knowing better.
So please allow me to ask- why is it cute that you cuss on the way to bible study? Why do you feel the need to promote that publicly? Why are we joking about what God is trying to refine?
I'll ask again, why is it funny that we are excitedly promoting that we cuss, en route to something meant to be sacred? The humor in this one REALLY falls short, because the message doesn't covey the intent (if I am even right about the intent).
A lot of Christians wrestle with the tension between who they are and who they’re becoming. This is real life. Authenticity is correctly needed to address these things. The admission of imperfection is even admirable. I think this type of genuine honesty resonates with people because it feels real and relatable. But so does "Work in Progress."
As hard as I have tried, I do not understand why anyone would appreciate a shirt that says- "I do the opposite of what I know I should, even while en route to reinforce this very belief". Would a "I lied to my wife on the way to Sunday School" shirt have the same appeal to these folks?
I don't know this company or the people behind it from Adam, but I do know how this one sits with my spirit. Not good.
I'm not at all judgmental, and most of these type things seem to roll right by. But this one, just wasn't well conceived.
Admittedly, I am protective of my Father's brand of business and it is not OK to boast about your brazenly prideful insufficiencies by promotionally bragging on your shortcomings, under the guise of a smile, which attempts to popularize and normalize this type of behavior. You might be falling short in your efforts to be righteous, and if you are, ask for forgiveness and double down on your effort... don't go looking for a laugh, a pat on the back, and a dollar's profit.
Wait though... cussing isn't that dramatic, is it? Maybe, maybe not. But, it's the representation of the message, not the content. "I literally kicked my dog right before we prayed" would most likely sell to someone too. Is that the audience you hope to serve... if so, carry on. They will buy.
Call me extremist here if you choose; I'm one thousand percent ok with it. This article might be offensive to a few opinionated, liberal people, but a goal to protect how the Gospel of Jesus is projected and perceived is honorable in my Father's eyes.
~ Devin
Devin Osborne
