Church Life

Holy Smoke

“Skywriter Jerry Stevens wanted to share his faith, not scare a town.”

Skywriter Jerry Stevens sees himself as an evangelist for people looking for heavenly signs. “You can’t imagine what it’s like when you’re feeling low, wondering if God is listening to your prayers, and then you walk out of your house and up above in big letters right over you, there’s ‘God Loves You,’ ” he told the Palm Beach Post. But his New Year’s Day message really caught people’s attention: “God Is Great.” For Palm Beach County residents, that was too close to the Muslim acclamation Allahu Akbar (“God is great”). The county was home base for half of the 9/11 hijackers and was the first target of an anthrax attack. Police were flooded with frantic calls. “I was just wondering if a terrorist group was paying for someone to write that,” said one observer. Stevens says he’ll stick to clearer messages.

Copyright © 2002 Christianity Today. Click for reprint information.

Related Elsewhere

Previous coverage includes:

Boca Skywriter Causes Panic by Writing ‘God Is Great’ — Associated Press (Jan. 1, 2002)

Also in this issue

New' China: Same Old Tricks: Top communists, despite their denials, endorse arrest and torture of Chinese Christians by the thousands.

Cover Story

'New' China: Same Old Tricks

Hungry for Something More

Afghanistan: Moonscape with Tents

Pakistan: Christians Hail Electoral Reform

Central Asia: Christians Fear Decade of Freedom Is Over

Philippines: Agency Disputes Rumors about Burnhams

Criswell's 15 Minutes

Bloodsuckers

Quotation marks

The Organ's Revenge

Hostage Vigil: Families of Hostage Couple Wait

Hannah's Sisters

Super Bibles

The Interfaith Public Square

Shortchanging Charities

Crucifixion

Hiding from Religion Police

Thou Shalt Be Cool

God's Peculiar People

Post-Truth Society

The Unlikely Activist

News

CCM's Growing Pains

Wire Story

Church vs. State: Churches Seek Help in Abuse Suits

Wire Story

Just War: Christian Ethicists: Afghan War Is Just

Wire Story

Government Rethinks Nazareth Mosque

What China's Secret Documents Reveal

China Persecution Dossier: Zhang Wu-Ji

China Persecution Dossier: Shi Yun-Chao

China Persecution Dossier: Gu Xiangmei

News

Go Figure

The Battle of Lexington and Wilmore

No Easy Victory

The 'Baptist Pope'

Nuptial Agreements

Adam and Eve in the 21st Century

The Forgotten Founder

Out of Uniform: Flier Shuns Abaya

Faith-Based Setback: Court Strips Faith Works of State Funds

Workplace Bias: Religious Bias Case Back on Track

View issue

Our Latest

Inside the Ministry

The Next Generation Is Ready. Are We?

See how CT is investing in the next generation of the Church—and how you can, too.

The CDC Listened to Vaccine-Hesitant Moms in My Living Room

I was surprised to find myself hosting an off-the-record chat with people worlds apart on public health. But I hope that night was a seed of something new.

The Russell Moore Show

Listener question: Why Aren’t Christians Engaging in Humanitarian Aid?

Russell takes a listener’s question about the crisis of humanitarian aid and why Christians are not stepping in to help.

New Archbishop of Canterbury Steps into Anglican Divides

Conservatives call on Sarah Mullally, the first woman at the spiritual helm of the Church of England, to uphold biblical faith amid same-sex blessings debate.

News

FDA Approves Generic Abortion Pill

Students for Life leader calls the move “a stain on the Trump presidency.”

You Haven’t Heard Worship Music like This

John Van Deusen’s praise is hard-won and occasionally wordless.

The Russell Moore Show

BONUS: Lecrae on Reconstruction after Disillusionment

 Lecrae joins Russell Moore to take questions from Christianity Today subscribers

Apple PodcastsDown ArrowDown ArrowDown Arrowarrow_left_altLeft ArrowLeft ArrowRight ArrowRight ArrowRight Arrowarrow_up_altUp ArrowUp ArrowAvailable at Amazoncaret-downCloseCloseEmailEmailExpandExpandExternalExternalFacebookfacebook-squareGiftGiftGooglegoogleGoogle KeephamburgerInstagraminstagram-squareLinkLinklinkedin-squareListenListenListenChristianity TodayCT Creative Studio Logologo_orgMegaphoneMenuMenupausePinterestPlayPlayPocketPodcastRSSRSSSaveSaveSaveSearchSearchsearchSpotifyStitcherTelegramTable of ContentsTable of Contentstwitter-squareWhatsAppXYouTubeYouTube