But first, we saw this one before the traffic got too bad:
These next two signs were clearly not designed by Pentecostals!
I love that this restaurant is serving African foods in Africa.
I wish I shopped at the best supermarket.
And an interesting advertisement.
There are also some churches out there with pretty elaborate names, like this one:
As a result, Anthony is always making up the most complicated church names he can think of. But he was outdone by an actual church: the Universal Apostles Fellowship Church of Righteousness. I kid you not. Unfortunately, I didn't get a picture because traffic was moving at the time.
Funny Ugandan signs are very different from funny Chinese signs (of which there are significantly fewer than there used to be)!
ReplyDeleteSarah or Anthony,
ReplyDeleteDo you think that the use "spiritual" words for the business name is an honest attempt by the owner to let folks know that he is a Christian and he uses Christian ethics in his business dealings, or is it just just a matter of people trying to adopt phrases that they may have heard used by westerners?
Bill
Bill, I think it's actually neither of those. True, there are some strong Christians here that want to utilize spiritual names in their businesses so as to give God glory or reach out to non-Christians. But I think majorly the reason is this. Uganda is a largely Christian country, but the faith is very shallow in most people, it's very much cultural Christianity. "I'm a Christian because I believe in God, and I'm not a Muslim." Taking on spiritual names like this is a fashionable thing to do because everyone is Christian for the most part. On top of this, strongly I think it is associated with hoping God will bless their business. You see on the back of every taxi something about giving glory to God. I think the idea is that if they put a name or slogan like that, that God will bless their business and make them more money, rather than out of a deep love for God. I may by cynical, but that's how I see most of it.
ReplyDeleteI love the paintings on the tap-taps and other public transportation vehicles in Haiti.. I think the insight about blessing from God is true here also. I always felt that if you could catalog all the verses on these vehicles, it would be a great Health and Wealth verse compilation!
ReplyDeleteMy favorite mini bus painting caused me to process it for several minutes. It looked like a man with a woman that was cleaning a toilet bowl. Then I realized it was supposed to be the woman at the well with a long handle scoop.
Also, gotta love the church signs! My favorite is in the United States. It is in the middle of nowhere on a rural secondary highway in Indiana. It is a big sign in front of a single story brick house. It proudly announces: "Fourth Separatist Baptist Church." What is the history of that "church"? When did they break off from the Third Separatists? On Sundays, I would bet it is just the one family that lives in the house.
Praying for you guys! It was great to see you in Midland on your whirlwind tour.
Thanks Steve! And that is a really funny but really sad church name. The one I made up (which is made up of parts of one I've actually seen) - First United Apostles Healing Holy Spirit Church of the end-times tribulation. or it was something like that
ReplyDeleteAnthony - now those signs are truly Ugandan. One of the things I love about my road trips is reading the signs. My favorite so far was in Kericho, Kenya - a very bold sign that read LAZARUS FUNERAL HOME!! I read it and I thought to myself - that's where I want to be taken when I die :-)
ReplyDelete