Translating a World on the Edge

A logo is a graphic mark or emblem commonly used by commercial enterprises, organizations and even individuals to aid and promote instant public recognition. In the nearly twenty years I spent running an advertising agency, I created many logos for businesses. Some of those logos are still around, on billboards, trucks, and some television ads. That’s either because the business they represented is still around, too, or because the logo worked well for the business.

If you were interested in promoting yourself and what you stand for–what would your personal logo look like? Would it be bold and brazen, or sedate and sentimental? What would the colors be, the text style, the graphic if there was one? What is it about you that lets other people know who you are?

Logos is a Greek word which means rational thought or reason. In the Bible, it is translated to mean ‘word’ or another name for Jesus. In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. ^]He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being.–John 1:1-4

I would say the longest running logo, and most successful logo by far, is the Christian Cross. Can you imagine how many times it has been inscribed into stone, or imprinted? How many pieces of jewelry have used it? How many books? How many T-shirts?

But a Christian does not need to walk around in a T-shirt imprinted with a cross in order for people to know who we are. Being Christian isn’t just a word that we apply to ourselves. Being a Christian requires actions, the actions that love promotes.

1 John 3:16-20, “This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers. If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth. This then is how we know that we belong to the truth, and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence whenever our hearts condemn us. For God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything.”

We can apply many other emblems to ourselves because we are unique and there are many words that might describe us as individuals. But together we are one. We are Christians. And unconditional love, symbolized by the Cross of Christ, is our logo.