What is the news?

One of my best friends is an agnostic. My friendship with him has been one of the best facilitators towards my relationship with God. We love hanging out and bantering about God, life in South Africa, our families and whatever is relevant to our discussion. I can honestly say that I've learned a ton about God from my friend.

Earlier this week I stumbled across the following picture. It depicts a new campaign by atheists in London. Look at the picture and before you read further, just think what your gut level response towards the picture is:

My friend noted that he is glad that there is now an alternative to Christian advertisements in public. Like me, he also doesn't think that it is effective, but he applauds the fact that there is at least now another side to the conversation. Earlier in the week I saw an electronic sign that read, "And you think it's hot here – God". I find campaigns like that stupid and want to distance myself from it. He hoped that the two dumb ways of communicating will open a third way of discourse that will be more relational and respectful.

When we discussed the bus campaign, it struck me how the sign assumes that a life with God excludes enjoying life. This, I suspect, has a lot to do with idiotic signs like the one I quoted above. Today I opened up the Bible (a translation for deaf people) and read the opening lines in Afrikaans, "Die goeie boodskap oor Jesus Christus", – "the good news about Jesus Christ". I think the bus sign should cause Jesus followers to reflect on the nature of eternal life as a qualitative state (which includes enjoyment) instead of just a chronological state (after death). We as Jesus followers should be committed deeply to the fact that life with Jesus (before death) has a fullness to it that makes sense. We are not just interested about life after death, but also life before death.

PS. Just found the picture below here.