Church bus

Back in the 1980's when I was a teenager in Houston, I had a good friend named Gus.

Gus & I were both in church of christ youth groups, but we were each part of a different church. Gus' church was on the north side of town and mine in the northwest.

Gus was a comedian and a half. He was kind of a short and chunky guy who wore hawaiian shirts and told non-stop jokes. Real funny ones. And he was wild and crazy. Imagine Chris Farley or Jack Black as a teen. That was Gus.

And with me being the tall, skinny, semi-quiet guy with a dry sense of humor, we made a hell of a team. We could have made movies or something...if we only knew how to act...and if there was such a market for coc youth group kids in the 1980's...

We joined forces in friendship when we found that the kids in our respective youth groups were too snobby and self-conscious to intermingle with each other at some youth group bowling outing. So Gus & I took a chance and bowled with each other, had a few laughs, and have been friends to this day. Although I haven't talked to him in about 2 years. I need to call him soon.

Gus' church had a church bus. Not some inconspicuous van with the church's name and address plastered to the side for all those sinner's on the road to see who's going to heaven when the van crashes. I mean a bus. A freaking huge-ass, annoying looking, white and purple (yes...PURPLE) school bus with the giant words CHURCH BUS emblazoned on the front, back, sides, and probably from the top for sinners in helicopters to see.

I can see it now: Unsuspecting motorists on I-45 saying, "Church bus? Yeah...no shit. Who else would be driving that thing? The muslims? Hare Krishna's?".

I could see the Krishna's, I guess.

The Partridge Family held nothing on this thing.

Actually...Gus was kind of like the Danny Bonaduche of his church youth group. So, the bus fit, I guess.

But anyway, one of my favorite memories of Gus (and there are many) was his take on a youth group song we sang that went something like "...and they'll know we are christians by our love, by our love".

His went "...they'll know we are christians by our bus, by our bus".

Gus' take on the song has been stuck in my head for years. It's probably influenced me one way or another. I don't know.

I guess we followers feel it necessary to advertise our faith with bumper stickers, fish symbols, gigantic advertisements on wheels (aka ridiculous looking buses or vans), and bible verses pasted on our clothing...all because our love wasn't good enough, I guess.

Or maybe our love is in low supply.