I saw this sign in front of the Brooklyn Quaker Meetinghouse when I was coming back from the gym today. Apparently Brooklyn Quakers have finally gotten around to putting up a more visible sign on the Adams Street side of the meetinghouse.
I love how plain and unadorned the sign is, with no logo or colors, telephone number, or web address. Just a simple message saying who we are in black and white.
Believe it or not, among Quakers this kind of "blatant advertising" has been the subject of much debate among Friends at different meetings that I have attended. We're so loath to do anything that might smack of "evangelism" or "self-promotion" that we go largely unnoticed, even by our neighbors.
While other faiths put up large billboards on busy streets, accost you in the subway station, and put up flashy multimedia websites, Quakers seek to be known for our deeds not our catchy slogans. Which is perhaps a counter-intuitive strategy in a world ruled by marketing. But it's one of the things that I love about being a Friend.
