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Previous Challenge Entry (Level 4 – Masters)
Topic: Billboard/Poster/Sign (any or all) (12/02/10)
The Battle of the Billboards began on a wet and windy Wednesday evening in November. Jim Brown rolled to a smooth stop, seven jangling coins cupped in his right hand, ready to be chucked into the automatic bin at the toll gate. At that very moment he saw the sign and everything changed. Ignoring the blaring horns of the cars in the queue behind him, Jim stepped out into the cold, breezy air for a better look.

Two minutes later with several photos of the poster stored in his cell phone, Jim roared through the toll gate. God's people had been pushed around for long enough; no way was Jim going to stand idly by while the Lord's enemies ran amok. It was high time for the church to confront such blatant evil.

^ ^ ^


"I don't see what the big deal is," said Bill Thomas, the presiding elder at Jim's church. "They're merely exercising their right to free speech."

"That's twaddle. Do you have any idea how many people pass by that toll gate every day? When a man looks at that billboard, the Devil's words are gonna grab a toe-hold in his mind, dragging him down to eternal damnation. And what about vulnerable children, impressionable teenagers, struggling believers? We have to respond!"

Bill picked up one of the fuzzy photos that Jim had printed out and brought with him. The image of the stable scene was blurred but the text was all too visible: "Does anyone honestly believe in the Nativity? Have the courage to call yourself an atheist." It was in many ways like a declaration of war.

^ ^ ^


The second salvo in the Battle of the Billboards was fired on the following Tuesday. A nearby billboard was dispossessed of its advert for a popular brand of toothpaste. In its place appeared a scene of happy children singing Christmas carols, accompanied by the words: "Thank God for Christmas. Be proud to call yourself a Christian."

The money to rent the billboard was raised by the members of Jim and Bill's church. Across the city prayer cells were moved to fervent intercession, pleading with the Lord to open the eyes of drivers as they approached the Christian poster, only to close those same eyes as they neared the toll gate. Bill suspected that were God to answer that particular prayer, there would be some serious fender-benders in the offing but wisely he kept such thoughts to himself.

^ ^ ^


Vandals struck in the first week of December. Jim was called to the scene by an anguished supporter. Someone had daubed their poster with pink paint, replacing the word Christmas with Sex and the word Christian with something entirely unmentionable.

The story spread like wildfire around the Christian community, with immediate suspicion falling on the atheists' society. Bill appealed for calm, saying that the defamation was most likely the work of some anonymous pervert. His words fell on deaf ears as Jim immediately announced a 24-hour protest underneath the anti-Christmas billboard. Before long, the road up to the toll gate was lined with television vans, all keen to draw attention to the growing confrontation between faith and unbelief.

One week later, just as interest in the matter was dying, arsonists doused the contentious poster with petrol and set it alight. Although the vandals disguised themselves with balaclavas, CCTV footage recorded the licence plate of their car and it took the police less than three hours to round up the culprits. Much to Bill's chagrin, one of the men arrested was Jim Brown, who announced to the waiting television cameras that the Lord Jesus had commissioned him to send the abomination back to hell.

^ ^ ^


As Christmas drew near, the agency that owned the two billboards declined to rent any further space to either group. Jim was released on bail and made quite a name for himself speaking at prayer meetings and fellowship groups. Bill was considerably less upbeat. To his way of thinking the followers of Jesus Christ had made a complete fool of themselves in the eyes of the wider public.

The chairman of the atheists' society raised a toast to Lady Luck as he prepared to tuck into his Christmas dinner. Enquiries using the atheists' toll-free number had quadrupled since Jim Brown had started his protest and generated so much publicity for their billboard. The chairman had appeared on five news programmes and a dozen chat shows. If the champions of Christianity were all as vainglorious and dimwitted, the days of the Christian faith were surely numbered.
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This article has been read 1075 times
Member Comments
Member
Date
Caitlyn Meissner
12/10/10
A good reason not to put our faith in men, but in God. Good job!
Beth LaBuff 
12/14/10
oh.... This is a well-written tale. (and it wouldn't surprise me if it was true or a similar incident.) This entertained and was thought-provoking at the same time. Very nice!
Verna Cole Mitchell 
12/14/10
Your well written story demonstrates well the problem of trying to "outdo" evil instead of having a prevailing Christian attitude. I like how your message is presented without sermonizing.
Melanie Kerr 
12/14/10
Excellent story. It is a kind of parable or warning story to think about the effects of our actions and not just the motives.
Joanne Sher 
12/14/10
Great parable/cautionary tale. I could see something like this happen. Excellent.
Lollie Hofer 
12/14/10
Enjoyed your story, sad part is there's absolute truth in what you wrote. Sometimes my own self-righteousness is my own worst enemy.
Catrina Bradley
12/15/10
I didn't expect that ending (of course I was looking for a "happy" one), but yours is all more likely. Thanks for sharing an important message.
Amanda Brogan
12/15/10
How very sad that believers often give the "enemy" amunition by trying to fight back using the world's ways. Makes me think of Matthew 5:16, "Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven."

Great lesson taught through the mistakes of the characters on how we can sometimes go to far in fighting back.
Amanda Brogan
12/15/10
"Too" far I mean. (Spelling error.) :)

Again, great story!
Shann Hall-LochmannVanBennekom 
12/15/10
You have such a special relationship with words. This is an outstanding story with a powerful message. Bravo!
Edmond Ng
12/15/10
Win an argument, lose a soul. Freedom of speech aren't quite free. We need always to think carefully and let God lead us in all situations. Confrontation is not one good way, even though we ought always to be prepared to defend the faith and preach the Word in and out of season ... with great patience and careful instruction (2 Timothy 4:2). Excellent writing!
Noel Mitaxa 
12/16/10
Your message is clear, and "wry"-ton target. A parable for our times.
Shann Hall-LochmannVanBennekom 
12/17/10
Congratulations for placing 9th in Masters and 13th overall!