Probably one of the most common forms of graffiti in today鈥檚 society could be labelled 鈥渄ust messaging.鈥� You know, those 鈥淚鈥檓 dirty - wash me!鈥� notes inscribed on the side of a car. They also appear on the back door of larger vehicles such as vans or trucks or, horror of horrors, on the occasional living room coffee table. I鈥檝e never seen anything sinister in them - to me they鈥檙e just about someone having fun with another person鈥檚 lack of time, concern or wash rags. (Come to think of it, though, I鈥檓 having second thoughts about taking a swipe at some harried homemaker鈥檚 less-than-perfect housecleaning. That鈥檚 pretty nasty stuff. It鈥檚 not only tacky, it might qualify as sinister. Eliminate the coffee table doodling as humour.)
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Definitions aside, chances are we鈥檝e all been a victim, perpetrator or observer of some sort of dust messaging. It鈥檚 part of our culture and we鈥檝e learned to ignore it or at least to live with it. To prove the theory that culture is always changing, yesterday I saw a new polished version of the old message. I don鈥檛 know what my approval means but I really liked it!
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鈥淵ou can look at my dust but please don鈥檛 write in it,鈥� someone鈥檚 finger had scribed and immediately all my internal dust bunnies gathered in celebration. 鈥淵eah! Sure there鈥檚 dust, but that doesn鈥檛 give you license to label my owner as uncaring or slipshod,鈥� they shouted. 鈥淗elp her get rid of us if you must, but don鈥檛 send her unkind messages.鈥�
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鈥淭herefore let us pursue the things which make for peace and the things by which one may edify another.鈥� Romans 14: 19
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Here鈥檚 my new 鈥渄usty鈥� exhortation: Let鈥檚 be careful with each other鈥檚 dust. We might not be able to ignore or condone it but we can handle it with love.
