There is, within the human heart, desire to encapsulate (to simplify). It is a basic tendency that affects thought and action. That which goes beyond the encapsulation is fraught with sophistication, danger, awe, above averages, and perhaps with mystery. These factors may be small, because the matter at hand is small, but they may be (and often are) large, complicated, troubling to us. To go beyond the capsule (simplification) may be invitation to adventure, risk, opportunity, even danger. It may require increased knowledge, skill and responsibility, perhaps related to gifted leadership with investment of self and resources. Capsulating (small contexts in the larger context) helps busy persons, or those who believe they are, to get on with life and manage the world context as best they can without too much thought or involvement. Mind pills are seen as solutions. So the physician is asked to give us pills for any disease. The politician is asked to cast his program in a few words. Barack Obama won the American presidency in 2008 on the promise: Yes, We Can. It won the public, and elected him president. He then found resistant challenges – as all presidents do. In four years it wasn’t done, but his appeal got him reelected. We had to wait to see if we can. Matters did not go well for him. The slogan was muted. Other presidents confronted similar difficulties with mixed results. Reports in other fields repeat the point in those contexts.
One of the word capsules we discussed rather often in history classes in college was Manifest Destiny. It had a ring to it, a spiritual dimension of service to the world, of virtue and responsibility. Taken one way, as it usually was, it had arrogance in it, superiority claims in knowledge and civilization, and support by warfare if needed. For other persons it meant being at the ready to help, to those inviting help without forced control, and the like. This last might well be illustrated from biblical theory and examples – all preceding the coining of the slogan: Manifest Destiny. In his book entitled, Manifest Destinies, Stephen E. Woodworth wrote of some of the issues. A Wall Street Journal reviewer, Daniel W. Howe, wrote: Mr. Woodworth takes protestant Christianity seriously, and he recognizes abolitionism as a religious movement – a point sometimes missed by others writing about the era. He shows how the slavery debate led to the break-up of the Methodist, Baptist and Presbyterian denominations along sectional lines. If slavery could prove so divisive among the devout, he says, the prospects for national cohesion were bleak.
During my lifetime the slogans from the Church have served well, and also hurt, the ministry and meaning of the Church. Jesus Saves is true, but has been somewhat lost in its purpose by the majority population that attaches it to conservative Christians. The capsule statement is not well understood in the meaning of human depravity, of impending judgment from God, of divine forgiveness turning judgment away, and admitting to immortality. Jesus Is the Answer – is another slogan that may help or hinder the Church. A better slogan might be: Jesus Has the Answer, and, for some questions: He Does Become the Answer. If my question is about my health, or proceeding in some personal objective, the slogan is not helpful without some understanding of the meaning behind it. For the Gospel there must be clarity. It is simple enough that a person of minimal perceptions may gain it, but it may be misdirected. The most gifted can honor it, but it may not serve well with sloganized words to express it. Slogans serve well in the sale of products as demonstrated in Coca-Cola (The Pause that Refreshes) and Morton’s Salt (When it Rains It Pours); and, as Ford repeated for four years, when no new cars were available, during World War II (There’s A Ford in Your Future). It sold a lot of cars after 1945. I have liked the slogan question appearing from time to time: What Would Jesus Do? I like questions. They are not really slogans, and ought to take the place of slogans, when well formed, for the attention of the public to the meaning of Jesus Christ, the Church and Scripture. When life was simple as it was before the internal combustion engine, spiritual matters were vital to every day attention. When Andy Griffith was asked what might be done for fun in Mayberry during the week, he responded that there was choir practice on Thursday evening. We need to find a way to create Moses’ burning bush experience for all. Moses translated his vision to Israel. The message of understanding, knowledge and wisdom, under God, needs dramatic attention. *Mark W. Lee, Sr. — 2016, 2020