The end is near. Or so say the signs up and down the highway that serve as harbingers of a coming apocalypse that promises everyone who does not “REPENT, REPENT, REPENT” will spend eternity in a condition of hellfire and damnation. Welcome to Clarendon.
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If you’re new to town or just passing through, you might wonder what kind of place you’ve just stepped into. More than 40 crosses made of four-inch PVC pipe have sprung up from one end of town to the other and along highways in Donley County. And if that doesn’t get your attention, a dozen or so signs question your relationship with Jesus and repeatedly proclaim the coming of “the end.”
The work of one man, Jim Griffin, the signs and crosses are an expression of religion, free speech, and Griffin’s desire to see people turn to Christ as their personal savior. Griffin has a right to his beliefs, and property owners have the right to put up a sign or a cross, but as a community what is the message all this sends to visitors to our fair city? What is the cumulative effect of this repeated message? During one recent event that brought several folks in from out of town, comments ranged from the bewildered to wondering if that many people had died along our highway to openly speculating if perhaps the Klan is active here.
Despite the good intention behind the signs and crosses, they are having some negative repercussions. City Hall, the Chamber of Commerce, and this newspaper have fielded calls that have questioned what can be done to stop the signs or what their purpose is. Some folks disagree with the message of the signs – preferring a message that centers more on God’s love, and some are incensed that the emblem of the risen Christ is being represented by sewer pipe.
But the most unfortunate consequence of the signs and crosses was made clear by one reader of this paper who emailed to say that, to her, the message is one that Clarendon is a “Christians only” town and people of any other faith are not welcome. That statement is hurtful to our city’s reputation and I believe would disappoint not only our early pioneers but also Jesus himself, who taught his followers to “love thy neighbor as thyself” and even went so far as to admonish us to love our enemies.
As a matter of historical fact, Clarendon was established as a Christian temperance colony by a Methodist minister. But when asked if other faiths were welcome in the colony, Rev. Carhart said that Methodism was prominent but that the settlement was “not of the narrow gauge.” In fact, one of its earliest and most prominent citizens was Jewish. Morris Rosenfield was one of the colony’s first merchants, was held in high esteem, served on the Clarendon School Board, and has his name on one of our city streets. But he was most certainly not a believer in the cross.
In more recent times, we have had a Jew on our city council and one of the finest families, in my opinion, who have sent their kids through our school system were Muslims. The kids were accepted, well liked, and made their mark on CHS athletics; and while they were not Christians, they were far more decent human beings than many folks I know who claim to be followers of Christ. Last month, our community buried a local business leader, a man who was a true gentleman in every sense of the word. His faith was different than many who knew him, but we valued his friendship and deeply respected him just the same.
Even among our Christian churches – of which we’re up to about 16 at last count – there are some stark differences in beliefs, doctrine, and theology that might or might not be in keeping with the message that is being seen along the highway. Our community is composed of different doctrines and different faiths, and that’s okay. It’s what makes America – and Clarendon, Texas – great.
Mr. Griffin himself says he wants the signs and crosses to glorify God and that he does not seek to demean people of other faiths or make them feel unwelcome. In fact, he says everyone is welcome here and that is part of being in America.
Unfortunately, for many, the signs, the crosses, and even the proposed Ten Commandments marker for the Courthouse Square have the effect of painting Clarendon with a broad brush and will leave outsiders with the impression that the town is an unwelcoming place, one that is intolerant of other religions. That is a reputation, however unintended, that we do not want. Everyone is entitled to their religion and to express that religion, but if every property owner puts up one or more ten-foot tall plastic crosses, then that can appear to be a bit over the top.
Good Christian people may disagree on this point, and many who do not approve of the signs may keep silent, which is what we saw happen with the Ten Commandments proposal. People think speaking out against a monument or a sign will invite accusations that they are not dedicated to their faith, and, sadly, that will indeed be said. But we can disagree and still be agreeable with each other. Clarendon is and has been a town with open arms with a penchant for spreading the loving message of Jesus, but it’s never needed signs or ten-foot crosses to accomplish that. To reach the most people, the apocalyptic messages of the end times should be taken down and replaced by signs that proclaim God’s love for his children, and property owners might want to think about the cumulative effect before they agree to add more crosses along the highway so that our neighbors of other faiths can still feel comfortable calling Clarendon their home.
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