“The Piels Syndrome”

“The Piels Syndrome”

 

Years ago New York City area residents were entertained by a series of radio and TV commercials pushing Piels Beer. The ads featured cartoon characters Bert and Harry Piels hawking their company’s product. The campaign was wildly successful in getting people to buy the brew. The problem came when they tasted the stuff—YUCK!! So after the initial spike sales dropped like a rock. It’s still being produced on a limited scale in Greater New York but after several buy-outs by other brewers it’s only a shadow of what it once was.

I’d long forgotten about Piels (which thankfully I never tried or I’d likely have remembered it) until recently when I poked through an old file and found a note about it. I thought for a while and suddenly realized how the church can get caught up in the Piels Syndrome. We can put up large and beautiful buildings, have polished worship and preaching, and develop attractive ministries to draw people to sample our product, but if we as God’s people aren’t measuring up to what we’re promoting those we’re trying to impact will turn away (as happened with Piels). And, as with Bert and Harry’s blend, they’ll be reluctant to try it again.

Jesus called Himself “…the light of the world.” (John 8:12) and amazingly He gave us the same title (“You are the light of the world.”—Matthew 5:14). To me this means He expects us to be His lights in a dark world which desperately needs what He came and died to give (‘…Let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.:--Matthew 5:16). In other words, we’re here to make God look good.

We can’t afford to fall prey to the Piels Syndrome—our actions must back up our words. May we, with Jesus’ brother, “…show [our] faith by what [we] do.” (James 2:18).

 

Blessings!

Jim McMillan