Being Offensive just to be Offensive

A Baptist church in Massachusetts has been offending locals with the messages on its sign. Some of the message have been:

"New Orleans: Natural disaster or God's anger with sin?"

"If we didn't abort our children, the U.S. wouldn't have to hire illegals"

"Jesus loves the little children that Kerry votes to murder before birth"

The pastor of the church claimed they are just being "salt" like the Bible commands. He added:

Jesus, when he was here on earth, he was controversial, as we know. He's the one that said [as part of the Sermon on the Mount] we should be salt and light in this present, dark world.

He is correct that the message of Jesus will at times be controversial and offensive. However, just because we create controversy does not mean we are being like Jesus. Just because we are offending people does not mean we are being like Jesus. We must make sure that what is controversial and offensive is the message of Jesus and not us. The messages on the sign were designed to shock and offend. But offending may make people less likely to think about the message. What we need to communicate is more of the love of Jesus and less of the offensiveness of ourselves.