This Church Is Going Viral For Their Openness And Their Sign Game Is Epic (35 New Pics)
Love, faith, hope, and wit are what keep us going when all other lights go out. They’re a quintessential part of being a human being. And there’s always room for a smile, a word of praise, and a dash of optimism. Especially during the most difficult of times.
Openness, wholesome support for everyone no matter their journey, and light comedy are exactly what the Clackamas United Church of Christ preaches, showing that religion can be radically inclusive, not just divisive. Masterminded by Reverend Adam Ericksen, the church spreads its Christian message through witty and heartwarming signs.
Reverend Adam told me that his goal is to show that they're a church that believes that "God loves all people and invites us to work for a more just world as we share that love with others." Read on for Bored Panda's full interview with the pastor about the church's goals, how the flock has adapted to the Covid-19 pandemic, and people finding faith in difficult times.
It sounded only fitting to do this after Easter, so we’ve collected some of the best new signs from the Milwaukie-based church to share with you, dear Pandas. You’ll also find Bored Panda’s earlier article about the church right over here. Spread love, not hate.
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For Pastor Adam, the belief that we should be building a more just world is inspiration enough to come up with new messages for the sign in front of the church. "Sometimes, the messages are about including people of other faiths or no faith. Sometimes it's about lifting up a justice issue. And sometimes it's quoting the Bible in a life affirming way toward immigrants, along with our LGBTQIA and BIPOC siblings. Other times we make political commentary with a Christian twist," he shared.
The reverend found adapting to the global pandemic both easy and difficult at the same time. "The difficulty is that our local community hasn't seen each other face to face in more than a year. We miss being physically present with each other. Phone calls and Zoom calls are the best we can do, but it isn't enough. At the same time, our online worship service is growing, allowing us to form a community with folks from Alabama to Toronto to Spain to Australia looking for a progressive Christian congregation," he said that they've been able to reach out to more people worldwide, but that the locals are feeling down after spending so much time apart.
If you use any holy books (you name it, bible, quran, tipitaka, vedas, etc) to justify violence, abuse or slavery, you are using it wrong. Period.
I learned something new today about my own country. We have a law protecting transgender people. You can change your name and gender on your birth certificate for example (to female, male or even diverse!). And we have this law since 1980!!!!! I am so proud of my my country right now.
I think you can be pro life and pro choice at the same time and if you are pro life, you should want to protect all the vulnerable.
quick lesson on gender/sex identity :) gender is mental: how you feel in your head. there are different parts of this (gender identity/gender expression) and there are lots of genders! it just depends on what fits the person. some common ones include male, female, non-binary, agender, genderqueer, and more. - what do i do if i dont know someones gender? just ask! 99% of the time, people will be happy to tell you their pronouns. - what are pronouns? pronouns are how people like to be referred to. it may or may not align with the title they use for themself. for example, i identify as non-binary and while many people use they/them pronouns, i use they/she. biological sex is how you were born. for example, female, male, or intersex. some transgender/non-binary people choose to get top/bottom surgery to match their gender identity, but if they don't, they're still completely valid, and might use binding, tucking, or other methods. if you have any questions/comments, ask! hope this helps
Wow, going out on a compassion limb here noting transgenders are human and alive. Jesus would be proud.
I've read these comments. There are very mixed up people out there. Transgender do not deny the body they were born in. They don't feel like it's the right one. Imagine being a child and feeling like your being forced to dress, act and behave a certain way that feels wrong. Families don't always jump to their child's side which means they have to fight to prove how they feel. Or they tell you your feelings are a sin against their God.
I don’t understand how anyone can say despite their take on transgendered individuals that they aren’t real people.
Very well put, and another point for Humanity! I guess there must be oodles of juicy tidbits in the Bible that people can shoot at each other from behind their firewalls... there is no point to that. "We are the People" means only one thing: Everybody!
Since when is life so simple? If you truly believe that God made man and woman then you should be able to wrap your head around people being different. There are blondes, Asians, people with Cancer, deformities, mental issues. The list of differences are is endless. You can't pick and choose which you find offensive and against your God. Being born into a body that doesn't feel right to you isn't a sin. It isn't Satan. It's another difference among so many. The only sin is not accepting it, judging, and telling those people they are lost. Not your job.
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Trans women aren't man, sir. This doesn't apply to them. And trans men have no testes. So it doesn't apply to them either
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Pastor Adam believes that the last 5 years "have increased faith for many," but thinks that this 'faith' isn't exactly what the church has been accustomed to. It's more of a longing to belong to a community. "For example, I find that people of different faiths and even people of no faith are looking for a sense of community. Faith is moving much more towards what I think Jesus had in mind—a trust in something bigger than yourself. Sometimes, we find that trust in community, realizing that all communities are flawed and make mistakes, but that participating in something bigger than ourselves makes life worth living. I think people are finding that especially in these most difficult times, faith within a community is something we need more than ever."
The Clackamas United Church of Christ marries tradition with modernity by embracing progressive issues. The congregation believes in upholding the rights, dignity, and equality of all people under God. They also think that “Jesus is awesome.”
Jesus was a person of colour. YES. HE WAS AN ARAB JEW FOR F***S SAKE.
Clackamas UCC, a Just Peace congregation, is open to everyone. And they live by those words. “We are open and affirming of our LGBTQ siblings and believe God calls us to love all of our neighbors, including those who are black, brown, white, rich, poor, religious, atheist, documented, and undocumented.”
During the Covid-19 pandemic, the church has moved their Sunday morning worship online. You’ll find their live services on their Facebook page, as well as their website. “We also have online bible study, prayer group, and anti-racism events throughout the week.”
This feels like message to insurance companies as much as it is to people.
In an earlier interview with Pastor Adam, Bored Panda learned about how the reverend came to Clackamas UCC and decided to get their message out into the neighborhood. “People saw our building but didn't know what our values were. So we started a fundraiser for the sign and I started posting those messages. People began to stop as they drove by to thank me for the messages. But I didn't know it would have an online impact, too,” he shared.
The reverend firmly believes that “God loves you relentlessly and eternally because God is love” and he lives by the same principles. He hopes to share these same values with others in the local community.
Nobody is born angry, or racist, or religious, or anything not yet learned. The only thing we are born with is curiosity. Oh, an hunger, too. We're are all born hungry!
"Amidst the pain of the world and all the hate, people are thirsty for something deeper. The truth of the Gospel is that all people are loved. The sin is when we start treating certain people and groups as if they are not loved. Jesus was most critical of those who used religion as an excuse to marginalize others. We are merely seeking to follow Jesus in the best way we can,” the pastor explained.
When Reverend Adam first arrived at the church in 2018, the congregation was incredibly small, down to only around 30 or so people. After coming up with an idea to spread their message through the sign out front, they started up a fundraiser and set it up. It paid off. Spiritually.
This! Call ppl out when you hear casual racism (I do, some ppl don't like it but tough). I'm white so ppl seem to think I will say nothing or enjoy the "joke" or comment. I don't. I will always say something. I've made a lot of ppl unhappy but f**k them tbh
"I decided that we needed to be bold with our message of love and inclusion, especially for those who are marginalized especially by religion. My goal is is to be part of a larger movement that is reframing or redefining Christianity so that it's based on God's love for all people, but especially those who are marginalized."
Pastor Adam said that even though the basic message about God loving everyone might sound cheesy, it was vital that they got it out in the community. "There are so many of us who are trying to get this message out and whether we do it in the name of God or the name of humanity or the name of God and humanity—I say amen, let's do this."
oh, this one hurts, and it is so true. "pull yourself up by your bootstraps" only succeeds if you have boots. But we as a country look down on those without boots...our cultural priorities are so backwards. we worship the rich and kick the poor. We should be trying to equalize it all.
Fortunately, negative reactions toward the message board have been few and far between. "One guy stopped as I was changing the sign and told me I didn't understand the Bible. But that's been most of the criticism. Everyone else honks, or says 'great job!' It's been very supportive. There is a big movement, not just in my generation but in all generations, of people looking for a more inclusive faith. We find it in Jesus."
According to the church’s website, Reverend Adam enjoys writing, coaching his son’s soccer and basketball teams, making breakfast, and long walks on the beach. We also have in common the fact that our favorite dessert is chocolate chip cookies and milk. Sometimes, the classics are eternal. Just like the wisdom on Adam’s signs.
If you see something wrong and do nothing to try and fix it, you are complicit.
If you are Christian - you are (and definitely should be) working to be more and more like Christ...so being Christian should be being Christlike. If you are Christian and are not like Christ, something's the matter.
Note: this post originally had 55 images. It’s been shortened to the top 35 images based on user votes.
The Christian faith is beautiful; unfortunately, too many people use it as an excuse for hatred and bigotry. The whole point of the faith is to love: Jesus said that one of the most important of the Ten Commandments is to love your neighbor as yourself. That means two things to me. One: love your neighbor. Love them platonically or romantically or however, but loving them -- no matter the gender, no matter the form of love -- is better than not loving them. Two: in order to love others as yourself, you must first love yourself. So if that means not conforming to 'normal' genders and gender stereotypes, that's fine. 'Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins' (1 Peter 4:8).
What a fabulous, wholesome post. I'm an atheist, and never before have I agreed so much with messages from a church. If we can all practice what these guys preach, the world will be a better place, for people of all faiths and none. ♡♡
I'm an atheist that grew up going to the UCC summer camp not far from this church (friends invited me one summer & I ended up going all through high school - it was amazing!). The UCC is the most welcoming, open faith with the kindest people I've ever encountered. My atheism was never an issue - their biggest message was always just to be a good person & love one another.
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Milwaukie, OR. Suburb of Portland. Good luck affording a home anywhere near Portland. It gotten pretty ridiculous.
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These are one of those churches that won't push their beliefs and ideals on you and respects ur decision
Ernst Gottaschalk - you suck.; You are a hateful, closed minded individual.
It's truly sad that the top comment on this post is just dissing some random dude in the comments. True BP spirit.
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Skimming through some of the comments–like people, seriously, if you don't have anything positive to say, keep it to yourself. The internet doesn't need your negativity. On the other hand, it's nice for the Church to be honest and open and illustrate that on their sign(s).
"if you don't have anything positive to say, keep it to yourself". I wish the church would keep to itself, but it doesn't. That's why we're justified in attacking it.
Load More Replies... It's beyond me why some people seem to come on these sorts of posts looking for a fight. I looked at this to see something happy and wholesome and instead found hateful comments on almost every one of those pictures. If you don't agree with the point of the post, don't look at the post; simple as that. You don't have to ruin it for everyone else.
Edit: I don't mind debate. It's just when debate turns to mindless insults.
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Ernst, I completely respect that you are trying to argue the case for Christ by what you believe, but these matters seriously affect lots of people and the sorts of comments that you have been making have the potential to hurt lots of people. The fact is, you need to ask yourself whether this will lead to the glorification of God, or just hurting people. Because being kind and loving is a much more effective tool than saying things that will upset people
All those people who call themselves Christians, should start by listening to Jesus' own words: "Those who follow Me do no longer have to apply the laws of Judaism. But those who choose to do follow these laws, should follow ALL OF THEM." Not pick and choose the ones that are convenient and ignore the rest. Secondly; Don't take chapters and verses of different Books from both the Old and the New Testament, shuffle them into a particular order, and then use them to make a "lesson" out of them. If you really want to know what the Bible says, start reading at Genesis 1:1 and stop at Revelations 22:21. Read everything in its original context. Third; Especially read what Jesus himself said, and take everything else with a grain of salt. Those are opinions and/or interpretations of mere mortals. Especially St. Paul in his letters to the world. Don't forget, he was a Roman born tax collector who never actually met Jesus till after His Ascension.
@Oerff, that is what I was taught. The words of Jesus of Nazareth, not Moses of Exodus. Per your own argument, which was correct. Jesus was saying, "Follow me, or stick to the old rules, you can't do both, there's no room for that," is how I was taught, by conservative Catholics..
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Now a story about church signs: Me and my family had just got back from apple picking, we aren't Christian on our mom's side but on our dads we are. We pass a church, I've always liked church signs for some odd reason. This sign reads, "Life is a plane and if god is your co-pilot let him take the main wheel." or something like this. (It was Fall 2020) We break out in discussion and googling. We pulls over and take selfies/pictures with the sign before driving away.
I just realized that the pastor at this church was the youth pastor at my church lol. And this place is pretty close to my house.
Why on Earth are deleted comments with multiple negative marks leading the comments in so many of the pages??? Why would I care about that type of person's opinion??? Get it together BoredPanda!!!
I loved this article! The only thing that tainted it for me was Ernst Gottaschalk. F**k off, Ernst.
It’s cringy to try and use memes and jokes to try and convince people back into a ridiculous belief / practice. If the scripture doesn’t speak for itself then maybe it needs to just shut up and go away.
it depends on what happens when people really attend services at that church. Is the weekly sermon as inclusive as the sign? Is their practice truly that of love and inclusion? I've run into a few churches that advertise the right talk, then you go a few Sundays and find out they're money-grabbing, or they're outright lying and want to turn open minds into closed hearts. Faith I can do. Organized religion.... repeatedly disappionits me, alas.
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Most of these statements are a little dubious to become slogans for anyone of faith. While many are technically true, they can all too easily be taken the wrong way.
Then again, a lot of conservative Christians take the entire teachings of Christ the wrong way.
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I've met religious jerks and I've also met non religious jerks. It's not a religious thing, just a shitty humans thing
A lot of people are talking about the Christian beliefs that are now socially outdated and unacceptable, so here's how I see it: Jesus and the prophets had to teach in a way that made sense to the people they were directly talking to, because they wouldn't have understood if they preached in a way people in the 21st century would understand. But we have the ability of knowing what life was like back then, so we can translate it in a way that makes modern sense. For example, when God asked Abraham to sacrifice his son, it was common to sacrifice family for the other gods people believed in. In telling Abraham to sacrifice Isaac and then telling Abraham not to lay a hand Isaac right before he was sacrificed, God was proving he's not like those other gods. We may think of that passage as odd and maybe even disturbing now, but it makes more sense in the context of the time it happened.
Right or wrong in his opinions, his charge to is to minister the Gospel in full, not to showcase his political view points for "likes" on a church message board. The Bible warns us about governments. Why encourage division disguised as positive messages when the message of love directly from Jesus, is all you need. When did he decide the Gospel and Jesus Christ were not enough?
I do agree with some of these things. However, if someone is in blatant sin that is directly opposite to what God has taught that is wrong. Christian love does not mean saying sin is okay. It's continuing to work with people and helping them despite what they do. It's talking to and treating someone with respect despite their life choices. If someone is in sin, you should talk to them about it in a loving way. (Matthew 18:15 and 1 Corinthians 13:1-7)Not confronting someone about sin isn't loving at all, it's just the opposite. You could be willingly leading someone to hell. This is not to say that you should stand on the street waving signs that say hateful things. It does mean you should beat up, yell at, or kill people. But it does not mean sin is okay either. Does that make sense to you?
How do you know that sin is real? How do you know that god is real? Maybe worry less about sin, and more about the problems in the real world?
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Ernst gottschalk.....you are as shitty as your ridiculous moniker. Silence is a virtue my dude. Stay silent.
Ernst Gottschalk, I’d like to extend a formal invitation to you. I hereby cordially invite you to shut up and go soak your head.
As an atheist I want nothing to do with jesus. Jesus was an a-s-s-hole sometimes. He said, I come not to bring peace, but a sword. He wanted to separate families. He said that if you love a family member more than me (even a mother loving her own baby), that is horrible and you will be punished Matthew 10:37. Jesus was supposedly the super evil old testament god (they were the same being in a way, which is totally silly). Jesus loved the super evil old testament laws and said to not let one jot or tittle pass from them. Jesus was an idiot that said prayer alone can actually move mountains: Matthew 17:20. That's a provable lie. Jesus supposedly had the power of god, and what did he do with it? He chose to heal some people with leprosy, but he didn't cure the disease leprosy itself (people still suffer from this disease that science has largely taken care of). Jesus was an idiot that came upon a barren fig tree during the wrong season, and he got mad at the tree and smited it. Hail Sagan
Am I the only one noticing that the sign isn't straight? Drives me mad.
How you report people on BP: https://www.boredpanda.com/contact-us/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=organic&utm_campaign=organic
The Christian faith is beautiful; unfortunately, too many people use it as an excuse for hatred and bigotry. The whole point of the faith is to love: Jesus said that one of the most important of the Ten Commandments is to love your neighbor as yourself. That means two things to me. One: love your neighbor. Love them platonically or romantically or however, but loving them -- no matter the gender, no matter the form of love -- is better than not loving them. Two: in order to love others as yourself, you must first love yourself. So if that means not conforming to 'normal' genders and gender stereotypes, that's fine. 'Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins' (1 Peter 4:8).
What a fabulous, wholesome post. I'm an atheist, and never before have I agreed so much with messages from a church. If we can all practice what these guys preach, the world will be a better place, for people of all faiths and none. ♡♡
I'm an atheist that grew up going to the UCC summer camp not far from this church (friends invited me one summer & I ended up going all through high school - it was amazing!). The UCC is the most welcoming, open faith with the kindest people I've ever encountered. My atheism was never an issue - their biggest message was always just to be a good person & love one another.
Load More Replies... Milwaukie, OR. Suburb of Portland. Good luck affording a home anywhere near Portland. It gotten pretty ridiculous.
Load More Replies... These are one of those churches that won't push their beliefs and ideals on you and respects ur decision
Ernst Gottaschalk - you suck.; You are a hateful, closed minded individual.
It's truly sad that the top comment on this post is just dissing some random dude in the comments. True BP spirit.
Load More Replies... Skimming through some of the comments–like people, seriously, if you don't have anything positive to say, keep it to yourself. The internet doesn't need your negativity. On the other hand, it's nice for the Church to be honest and open and illustrate that on their sign(s).
"if you don't have anything positive to say, keep it to yourself". I wish the church would keep to itself, but it doesn't. That's why we're justified in attacking it.
Load More Replies... It's beyond me why some people seem to come on these sorts of posts looking for a fight. I looked at this to see something happy and wholesome and instead found hateful comments on almost every one of those pictures. If you don't agree with the point of the post, don't look at the post; simple as that. You don't have to ruin it for everyone else.
Edit: I don't mind debate. It's just when debate turns to mindless insults.
Load More Replies... Ernst, I completely respect that you are trying to argue the case for Christ by what you believe, but these matters seriously affect lots of people and the sorts of comments that you have been making have the potential to hurt lots of people. The fact is, you need to ask yourself whether this will lead to the glorification of God, or just hurting people. Because being kind and loving is a much more effective tool than saying things that will upset people
All those people who call themselves Christians, should start by listening to Jesus' own words: "Those who follow Me do no longer have to apply the laws of Judaism. But those who choose to do follow these laws, should follow ALL OF THEM." Not pick and choose the ones that are convenient and ignore the rest. Secondly; Don't take chapters and verses of different Books from both the Old and the New Testament, shuffle them into a particular order, and then use them to make a "lesson" out of them. If you really want to know what the Bible says, start reading at Genesis 1:1 and stop at Revelations 22:21. Read everything in its original context. Third; Especially read what Jesus himself said, and take everything else with a grain of salt. Those are opinions and/or interpretations of mere mortals. Especially St. Paul in his letters to the world. Don't forget, he was a Roman born tax collector who never actually met Jesus till after His Ascension.
@Oerff, that is what I was taught. The words of Jesus of Nazareth, not Moses of Exodus. Per your own argument, which was correct. Jesus was saying, "Follow me, or stick to the old rules, you can't do both, there's no room for that," is how I was taught, by conservative Catholics..
Load More Replies... Now a story about church signs: Me and my family had just got back from apple picking, we aren't Christian on our mom's side but on our dads we are. We pass a church, I've always liked church signs for some odd reason. This sign reads, "Life is a plane and if god is your co-pilot let him take the main wheel." or something like this. (It was Fall 2020) We break out in discussion and googling. We pulls over and take selfies/pictures with the sign before driving away.
I just realized that the pastor at this church was the youth pastor at my church lol. And this place is pretty close to my house.
Why on Earth are deleted comments with multiple negative marks leading the comments in so many of the pages??? Why would I care about that type of person's opinion??? Get it together BoredPanda!!!
I loved this article! The only thing that tainted it for me was Ernst Gottaschalk. F**k off, Ernst.
It’s cringy to try and use memes and jokes to try and convince people back into a ridiculous belief / practice. If the scripture doesn’t speak for itself then maybe it needs to just shut up and go away.
it depends on what happens when people really attend services at that church. Is the weekly sermon as inclusive as the sign? Is their practice truly that of love and inclusion? I've run into a few churches that advertise the right talk, then you go a few Sundays and find out they're money-grabbing, or they're outright lying and want to turn open minds into closed hearts. Faith I can do. Organized religion.... repeatedly disappionits me, alas.
Load More Replies... Most of these statements are a little dubious to become slogans for anyone of faith. While many are technically true, they can all too easily be taken the wrong way.
Then again, a lot of conservative Christians take the entire teachings of Christ the wrong way.
Load More Replies... I've met religious jerks and I've also met non religious jerks. It's not a religious thing, just a shitty humans thing
A lot of people are talking about the Christian beliefs that are now socially outdated and unacceptable, so here's how I see it: Jesus and the prophets had to teach in a way that made sense to the people they were directly talking to, because they wouldn't have understood if they preached in a way people in the 21st century would understand. But we have the ability of knowing what life was like back then, so we can translate it in a way that makes modern sense. For example, when God asked Abraham to sacrifice his son, it was common to sacrifice family for the other gods people believed in. In telling Abraham to sacrifice Isaac and then telling Abraham not to lay a hand Isaac right before he was sacrificed, God was proving he's not like those other gods. We may think of that passage as odd and maybe even disturbing now, but it makes more sense in the context of the time it happened.
Right or wrong in his opinions, his charge to is to minister the Gospel in full, not to showcase his political view points for "likes" on a church message board. The Bible warns us about governments. Why encourage division disguised as positive messages when the message of love directly from Jesus, is all you need. When did he decide the Gospel and Jesus Christ were not enough?
I do agree with some of these things. However, if someone is in blatant sin that is directly opposite to what God has taught that is wrong. Christian love does not mean saying sin is okay. It's continuing to work with people and helping them despite what they do. It's talking to and treating someone with respect despite their life choices. If someone is in sin, you should talk to them about it in a loving way. (Matthew 18:15 and 1 Corinthians 13:1-7)Not confronting someone about sin isn't loving at all, it's just the opposite. You could be willingly leading someone to hell. This is not to say that you should stand on the street waving signs that say hateful things. It does mean you should beat up, yell at, or kill people. But it does not mean sin is okay either. Does that make sense to you?
How do you know that sin is real? How do you know that god is real? Maybe worry less about sin, and more about the problems in the real world?
Load More Replies... Ernst gottschalk.....you are as shitty as your ridiculous moniker. Silence is a virtue my dude. Stay silent.
Ernst Gottschalk, I’d like to extend a formal invitation to you. I hereby cordially invite you to shut up and go soak your head.
As an atheist I want nothing to do with jesus. Jesus was an a-s-s-hole sometimes. He said, I come not to bring peace, but a sword. He wanted to separate families. He said that if you love a family member more than me (even a mother loving her own baby), that is horrible and you will be punished Matthew 10:37. Jesus was supposedly the super evil old testament god (they were the same being in a way, which is totally silly). Jesus loved the super evil old testament laws and said to not let one jot or tittle pass from them. Jesus was an idiot that said prayer alone can actually move mountains: Matthew 17:20. That's a provable lie. Jesus supposedly had the power of god, and what did he do with it? He chose to heal some people with leprosy, but he didn't cure the disease leprosy itself (people still suffer from this disease that science has largely taken care of). Jesus was an idiot that came upon a barren fig tree during the wrong season, and he got mad at the tree and smited it. Hail Sagan
Am I the only one noticing that the sign isn't straight? Drives me mad.
How you report people on BP: https://www.boredpanda.com/contact-us/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=organic&utm_campaign=organic
