Signs of the times
A small Mennonite congregation in Oklahoma City is distributing signs to make a big impact on the surrounding community and the state.
Each sign being sold by Joy Mennonite Church includes the following message in English,
Spanish and Arabic:
“No matter where you are from, we’re glad you’re our neighbor.”
The church, with about 30 congregants, decided to become a distribution point for the “Welcome Your Neighbor” signage about a month ago, said Kristen Swartley, a church member helping to coordinate the project.
She said the signs are popping up nationwide and locally, the hope is that they help promote Jesus’ “Love thy neighbor” mandate from the Gospels.
But Swartley said there is also the prevailing thought that the signage will become signs of the times, so to speak — to help counter what church members describe as “anti-immigrant” sentiment being spread around the country.
“It’s kind of a way to express solidarity and counteract some of that negative rhetoric,” Swartley said.
She said the signage fits within the Mennonite faith tradition.
“Mennonites are very community-oriented and care about social justice issues. We care about people who are marginalized so this fits within that,” Swartley said.
She said the church has promoted the signage on its Facebook page and some members have taken them to interfaith gatherings and ecumenical Christian events to help spread the word.
Selling fast, seen locally
Swartley said about 50 signs were sold for $10 a piece almost immediately so the church ordered 100 more which they have distributed over the last few weeks.
Swartley said many metro-area church leaders have purchased some the signs and one church has indicated it wants to get numerous signs.
The Rev. Jeremy Bassett, senior pastor of Wesley United Methodist Church, said one of the has been placed on the southeast corner of his church at 1401 NW 25.
“Ours is a neighborhood (of) diversity and we want to be intentional about indicating that everyone is welcome,” Bassett said.
The Rev. Marla Lobo, Wesley’s associate pastor, agreed.
“As Christians, we believe that all are welcome throughout God’s kingdom,” she said. “Regardless of the color of your skin, where you’re from or what language you speak, we are all God’s beloved children.”
Meanwhile, the signs have made their way into the Tulsa area.
Aliye Shime, a Muslim who is associate director of the Tulsa Metropolitan Ministry, said she purchased several of the signs at recent meeting of the Oklahoma Conference of Churches’ Religions United committee.
“As an American and an Oklahoman, I want to make sure that all of my neighbors feel welcome,” Shime said.
“They are not going to know that by looking at my face but maybe that sign in my yard will ease some of their anxiety and they will know they have an advocate if they need one. The bottom line is they are human.”
The Rev. Evan Taylor, outreach minister at East Side Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), said he received one of the signs from Shime and immediately placed it on the lawn of his Tulsa church.
“Folks here at my church love seeing us affirm a community that may feel shunned elsewhere,” he said.
Message spreads nationally
Swartley said she discovered the “Welcome Your Neighbors” campaign through friends who live in Harrisonburg, Virginia, where she attended Eastern Mennonite University.
She said the signage effort was started by Immanuel Mennonite Church in Harrisonburg, which wanted a sign to help promote a concept deeply rooted in its faith.
“We choose to reach out to our neighbors and neighborhoods, welcome those who come from different backgrounds and places, and practice hospitality through the open doors of our communities,” the church posted on their Facebook page.
Swartley said the church has created signage in other languages besides English, Arabic and Spanish.