The Mark of the Least

The new CGGC logo.

I'm still picking up a lot of chatter about it on Facebook and in private communication.

The official explanation from the institutional authorities in Findlay says of the logo, in part, "The mark is comprised of individual elements...."

The "mark."

Hence, based on what I'm seeing of the response to the mark among the people of the CGGC, I think it's fair to call the new logo, The Mark of the Least.

In a Facebook thread, George Jensen says wisely, that if you are "fired up over your disappointment with the new logo more than you are over the fact that we are dying as a denomination and need to repent of our ways..., I suggest you look at your priorities."

Right on. Preach it, George.

For generations we've always found something to focus on rather than repentance. George documents his reason for suggesting that we are dying. It's compelling. We are, as this blog notes regularly, decaying spiritually and declining numerically. George's numbers tell that story.

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However, I can see that something else could be behind the outcry against the logo.

Criticizing the logo could simply be a safe, shepherdly, indirect, CGGC-acceptable way of criticizing the leadership team that produced the logo.

I can see, in the criticism of the logo itself, feelings that, at least some CGGC pastors and, uh, lay leaders have of the people who occupy offices in the headquarters building in Findlay.

The logo is abstract. It makes no sense.

And, there are comments that make light of the logo or create jokes its expense.  The baseball diamond logo. The Pittsburgh Steelers' logo.

And, it would be more spiritual, and less divisive, to criticize a logo than the Executive Director and Directors of the denomination.

A question that I can't asking avoid is, why all of this brouhaha?

Why does a silly logo, as poorly designed as many of us think it is, matter so much.

We could be talking about the first-ever General Conference Strategic Plan, or the new Mission Statement.

And, I'm suggesting that, perhaps, we are talking about the Strategic Plan and the Mission Statement...

...and about the leadership team that created them...

...and that the chatter about the logo is about something more important than the logo itself.

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But, what's clear is that we are not turning from the fallen and sinful ways that have been driving our decline and decay for more than 80 years.

We must repent.