Autobahn

Vanity license plates that have recently caught my eye:

In the parking lot of Flint's First Presbyterian Church, I espied a Cadillac Escalade sporting the plate THMAN2C, which I read as "The Man to See." My questions would be, The man to see about what? Does he specialize (the man to see about lawn furniture, for instance) or is he the man to see about anything & everything?

Driving down the road, I espied a dazzlingly white Buick (the model escaped me) sporting the plate FEB15TH, which I read as "February 15th." An anniversary, or the birthday of a spouse or child? The death of a spouse, child, or parent? February 15th, the day after Valentine's Day, when the crass commercialism abates, however briefly? February 15th is a date now shrouded in mystery.

In the center of Grand Blanc (where else?) I espied a Lamborghini Murciélago. My first thought, when spied from a distance, was that it was an Audi R8. Getting closer, I could see it was a Lambo, but I could not tell what type of Lambo it might be 'til I espied the plate: MUCLAGO. How very helpful! (I did have to look up how to spell Murciélago.)

Urbi et Orbi
THMAN2C does raise questions: Should a Christian own/drive a vehicle as ostentatious as a Cadillac Escalade? I ask the same question whenever I see a crucifix or a cross made of gold, or encrusted with jewels: Is this display of opulence consistent with following Jesus? The seemingly apparent answer would be, No. On the other hand, perhaps the prestige afforded the fellow by such an ostentatious vehicle is necessary to spread the Gospel in his social circles. He doesn't drive it for his own prestige, but as the price of admission so that some of his wealth-&-status-conscience friends might be receptive the Gospel message. St. Paul told us to be all things to all persons, so that at least some might be saved. Or, on the gripping hand, is that argument—the price of admission to evangelize certain social strata—a pernicious lie along the lines of the self-serving, counter-scriptural heresy known as the Prosperity Gospel?

Because a picture is worth a thousand words (& because we here at The Secret Base love a good joke), here's a Presbyterian organizational/denominational chart: