A Passing Fancy

Harvey Ross Ball was an American commercial artist.
From Worcester, Massachusetts, he became an apprentice to a local sign painter.
After World War II, Ball worked for an advertising firm and then started his own business.
One of his designs is known the world over.

After a merger of two insurance companies, employee morale was low.
To encourage their workers, a “friendship campaign” was begun.
Ball was employed in 1963 as a freelance artist, to create a smiley face.
This design was to be used on buttons, desk cards, and posters.

Within ten minutes after being given the assignment, the Smiley Face was born.
The company gave out 100 pins to their employees to encourage them to smile.
Soon orders for the pins were being placed in batches of 10,000.
By 1971, more than 50 million Smiley Face pins were sold.

Ironically, Ball never applied for a trademark or copyright of the Smiley Face.
He earned just $45.00 for his work.
The insurance company never profited from the design either.
Two Philadelphia brothers trademarked the Smiley Face and the phrase, Have a nice day.

In the early 1970’s, I bought my first happy face pin.
I wore a uniform when I was in high school and wore the pin every day.
I had the original yellow Smiley Face pin, followed by others in neon pink and neon green.
The Smiley Face was everywhere; you couldn’t help but smile when you saw one.

Today, the Smiley Face is one of the emoji icons we use on our computers and phones.
The design that Ball produced in ten minutes now winks, and cries, and sleeps.
I am sure he never dreamed that his design would become such a part of our culture.
He never regretted not registering the trademark; I can only eat one steak at a time.

Some may have thought the Smiley Face was a fad; its longevity has proved them wrong.
There are fads that come and go quicker than we can say our names.
Mood rings, pet rocks, and lava lamps are just memories.
Cabbage patch dolls, care bears, and jelly shoes were part of most girls’ collection.

Koosh balls, slap bracelets, and rubik’s cube were all the rage.
Beanie babies, ring pops, and pogs were a part of childhood.
They were fads to be sure.
Now many of these items are highly sought after, as people sell their treasures.

We seem to get more and more nostalgic as we get older.
Much of what we impetuously threw away or gave away, we wish we had kept.
The Internet makes it possible to find those items from your childhood.
Finding something that was once a fad usually comes with a high price tag.

A fad is a behavior that is collectively followed enthusiastically for a period of time.
It catches on when the numbers of people adopting the fad increases rapidly.
The behavior will fade quickly once the novelty is gone.
Flea markets and thrift shops, can attest to that truth.

All men are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field. The grass withers and the flowers fall because the breath of the Lord blows on them. Surely the people are grass. The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God stands forever. (Isaiah 40:6-8)

The Word of God is not a fad.
The Word of God is not here today and gone tomorrow.

Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away. (Matthew 24:35)

Often, when a family member comes to Christ, others in their family do not understand.
The new believer has disrupted the status quo.
It is just a fad; they will come to their senses.
It must be a cult the way they are so gung-ho about everything.

Over time, family members see that it is not a passing fancy.
The heart change they see is true and lasting.
They fail to see that this newfound “religion” is really a relationship with Jesus.
Faithfulness and perseverance, despite ostracism, will speak volumes.

The Object of our faith is not a fad.
The Object of our faith does not depend on popularity.
The Object of our faith is not a novelty that wears off.
The Object of our faith is Jesus Christ.

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. (Hebrews 13:8)

Jesus is not a fad to be taken lightly.
In fact, if you take Him lightly, you might as well dismiss Him entirely.

The Object of our faith is omnipotent.
The Object of our faith is omniscient.
The Object of our faith is omnipresent.
The Object of our faith is the immutable Lord Jesus, the Son of God.

We can rest in the immutability of Jesus.
He alone is worthy to be praised.