Reading: “Words” from Promise of Spring by Clinton Lee Scott

Words are the commerce of the civilized world,
         the coin of exchange,
         the vehicle of thought,
         the tool by which aspirations
         are fashioned into purpose.

When first one’s speech had meaning to another
         the way was opened to know each other.

Words are the fluid medium through which
         our values are secure and larger values sought.

Then let us speak to one another, of convictions
         and dreams,
         even of doubts and anxieties.

Let us learn what thoughts, charged with distrust or fears
         separate the nations and make strangers
         of neighbors.

To speak, to listen, to communicate, even beyond
         the use of words, this is a gift of life,
         and the way to understanding.

Sermon

         Bumper Sticker Theology is a favorite one among UU ministers for light-hearted summer sermons. I planned to write down bumper sticker messages wherever we went on our summer visits. When I didn’t find anything other than “My son is student of the month at such and such elementary school” I thought that Massachusetts-ites had lost their sense of bumper-sticker humor. So when we went on a 300 mile trip to New Jersey last week, I had pen and pad in hand ready to jot down some pithy sayings to brighten the journey. I saw no bumper stickers for 300 miles! Same thing on the way back—not even “If you can read this, you are driving too close!” What is going on? In June I was in California and saw lots of bumper stickers there! (As an aside, I wonder whether the design of bumpers on new cars is part of the problem. My own car’s bumper not only slopes inwards but it also has a ridge half way down—just a thought.)

A few days ago, I was visiting a couple of our members and I complained that no one had bumper sticker messages any more. They said, “Oh no? Go and look at our bumper sticker.” So I went outside and sure enough, their car sported a sticker that said, “Support Troops. Replace President.” Well! That would be considered a typical liberal UU bumper sticker, in the category of the clever political “Pro-Faith, Pro-Family, Pro-Choice” (which I haven’t seen for a long time).

Last night, I was driving home reflecting on the fact that I had only one bumper sticker to talk about and all of a sudden I see a van in front of me on the Fairhaven-New Bedford Bridge with three bumper stickers! It wasn’t easy to get behind this van and then close enough to read the stickers, but I did. The largest one, which was actually on the back of the van, said, “Circus animals suffer.” The right-most one said, “I don’t go to rodeos.” And the left-most one said, “Give a rabbit a new leash on life.”

“Ah,” I thought, “she must be an animal rights activist. I wonder whether she’s a member of the New Bedford UU church!”

I have two stickers on my bumper. One has appeared on three of my cars over thirteen years. It is, “Practice random kindness and senseless acts of beauty.” The other one is new and it has taken me six weeks to decide whether I really wanted to put it on my car. It says, “God is too big for one religion.” It is only a small part of what I believe and doesn’t capture the whole thing. Nevertheless, I thought that perhaps it would make some people ponder, so I put it on. Notice how I was very clear that the message was something about my own belief and values.

Human beings are structured for self expression, whether its by way of fashion statements, tattoos, home décor, tee-shirt slogans, poetry or prose or song lyrics, button messages—or bumper stickers. Why New Englanders are not much into bumper stickers nowadays is a puzzle to me. But then perhaps they never were. What do you think?

Of all of the artistic expressions, I believe that bumper stickers are the most personal and daring statements of our beliefs and values. They are daring because of the sheer number of people who read what’s on our bumpers and who will probably make a judgment of us based on the message we are displaying. I have actually been collecting interesting bumper sticker statements for some time. Here are some that made me stop and think:

Human-kind. Be both.
Racism is a social disease.
Support your local universe.
A few gray hairs are a small price to pay for all this wisdom.
My mother is a travel agent for guilt trips.
A parachute is like a mind, they only work if they are open.
Don’t believe everything you think.
More fun, less stuff.
Plant peace, harvest justice.
And an all time favorite: Visualize World Peace.

In the reading, Clinton Lee Scott said, “Words are…the coin of exchange, the vehicle of thought, the tool by which aspirations are fashioned into purpose.” The marketing industry knows this and this is what advertising is about. But I believe that short, snappy phrases can make a positive difference in people’s lives. And negative messages can make us recoil. I recall the sticker that read, “My son isn’t the student of the month but he can beat your son’s ass any time.” I recoiled when I saw this!

Do you remember the Parable of The Sower? It’s in three Gospels. In the Gospel of Luke 8:5-8 we read:

“A sower went out to sow his seed and as he sowed, some fell along the path, and was trodden under foot, and the birds of the air devoured it. And some fell on the rock; and as it grew up, it withered away, because it had no moisture. And some fell among thorns; and the thorns grew with it and choked it. And some fell into good soil and grew, and yielded a hundredfold…He called out, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”

What we choose to put on our bumpers can put us in the role of The Sower, albeit a modern one. The message is the seed. The good soil (or rock or thorns) is represented by the one who reads. So let him who has eyes to see, truly see. But this will only happen to those who are ready for the message.

There are some religious slogans that arrested my attention, like these:

God is an abbreviate from Goddess.
Lord, help me be the person my dog thinks I am.
Jesus is a liberal.
God wants spiritual fruits not religious nuts.
My karma just ran over your dogma.
Don’t drive faster than your guardian angel can fly.
Born again…and again…and again
IMUU—RU

The last one isn’t exactly religious, but I couldn’t resist. Some of them are actually from tee-shirts.

I have seriously thought about putting a political sticker on my car, like the people I visited this week. I’m still struggling with this decision. Right now, I’d rather have something that lifts people’s hearts or at least makes them think. In a way, it is my gift to the world. And it also has an effect on me. Every time I come upon my “Practice random kindness and senseless acts of beauty” sticker, it makes me smile. If I weren’t the minister, I’d buy a bunch of bumpers stickers attractive to religious liberals and I’d sell them here as a church fund raiser. In fact, why don’t I start today? I wasn’t sure of the reason I picked up an extra “Practice Random Kindness & Senseless Acts of Beauty” but now I realize it would make a great silent auction today! It only cost me $1.25 to buy at General Assembly. What is it worth to you? I thought it would be fun to put it on the table and see who bids highest by the end of coffee hour. Lowest bid is $5 and remember, the proceeds go to th e church. I won’t be offended if no one wants it. Maybe it’s just too Ann Fox! (Dear Reader, the sticker now has a good home—or bumper.)

There are thousands of stickers on the Internet. Just get onto google.com and do a search on “bumper stickers” and lots of sites come up. Some of the most delightful bumper messages are pagan. Here are a few:

Please don’t squeeze the shaman.
My other vehicle is the Mahayana (referring to Buddhism)
Magick happens.
My other car is a broomstick.
Goddess on board.
May the forest bewitch you.

Some Internet sites invite you to create your own bumper sticker. That caught my attention. Wouldn’t I feel proud if my self-created bumper sticker caught on? What message would I want on my bumper? I think I’d like to create one that reads “Your truth may not be my truth. And that’s okay!”

I wonder whether you have the wonderful little daily meditation book called Journey to the Heart by Melody Beattie. Some of her daily titles would make great bumper stickers. How would you feel to come up behind a car that had one of these messages:

Remember to be happy.
Let the universe help you.
Awaken to the world around you.
Honor the process of spiritual growth.
Let go of old messages.
Open to universal love.

What bumper sticker would you choose or create for your own car? It is worth pondering. Please let me know what you come up with. Whether you choose to put a sticker on your bumper or not, perhaps you will find a way to put a message from your heart out there for others to ponder. So may it be!