It’s how most of us begin our morning: we put on clothes (though maybe zoom has changed that for some – believe me, I don’t want to know). We dress for work or school before a closet of choices, colors, and brands. We ask: What do I have to do today? What will the weather be like? When we know we’ll be seeing others, maybe for the first time, we are especially conscious of putting on the right kind of clothes. Is it clean? Does it match? Do I look good? And I know that Jesus said not to worry about clothes – and he’s right – but not because clothes don’t matter but because the Bible reveals that they are meant to be a gift and blessing of God’s care and goodness, reflect a metaphor for salvation, and a demand for Christian compassion. A quick tour of Scripture reveals:
God clothing Adam and Eve (Genesis 3:21)
God making sure that the Israelites clothes don’t wear out in the wilderness for forty years (now that’s a warranty!, Nehemiah 9:21)
We hear verses that tell us we have “clothed” ourselves with Christ in baptism (Gal. 3:26-29), that command us to “clothe” ourselves with compassion and kindness (Col. 3:12-13), and even that when we clothe others we are actually clothing Jesus himself (Matt. 25:36).
Clothing in the Bible is real, metaphorical, salvific, sacramental, and a subject of importance. So what does it mean to think carefully about choosing clothes, wearing clothes, giving away clothes, as a Christian?
And let’s be honest from the outset – the church and Christians haven’t always done so well in the clothing department. Jesus told us not to worry about clothes and instead we’ve caused others to worry about them. So let’s begin with a bit of confession.
When I was in 7th grade, I longed for a pair of Kaepa sneakers. They were so cool. And I begged my mother for a pair. I’ll never forget when we found a pair tucked away in a store with a big discount. I was thrilled. Finally, I could wear something that showed that I fit in, that I wasn’t some dorky kid, that I was important and worth getting to know. Yep – that’s a lot for a sneaker to live up to. I’ll never forget the first day I wore them – desperately trying to show them off without being too obvious about it. Finally, one of the cooler girls in my grade noticed them. And speaking loudly enough for everyone to hear she laughed and said to everyone in band class, “Wow. Those are cool Kaepa sneakers, Jon. Did you know that you’re wearing the girl’s style?” I hadn’t noticed. I had been so keen on getting Kaepa’s that I hadn’t paid attention to the fact that the boy’s style was only high tops and the girl’s style only flats. My clothing became a source of shame. There’s nothing quite as horrible as that feeling – when you are forced to wear your shame it almost sears your skin, like being branded. And while my story may not exactly be typical for a guy – so many women have been shamed for their clothing, been labeled by clothing, been even harmed by others who claimed that their clothing was an invitation for assault or abuse. And churches are sometimes the worst. We focus on women’s clothing, critique it, judge it, and shame them. We have created a culture that is antagonistic to our text from Matthew because we have caused people to worry about their clothing.
My female colleagues say that one of the most common problems they face are church folk who critique their clothes, offering often unwanted advice, essentially clothing them in shame. Friends, we will never be able to rightly think about clothes or clothe others with Christ if we do not first clothe ourselves in garments of compassion and kindness. And “clothing ourselves with compassion and kindness” is a responsibility not simply for individuals but the whole church. Paul’s remark is an “all y’all” remark.
But the problem is actually even worse – and once again women bear the brunt of it.
Most were women. Then something else was discovered. People working at Rana Plaza were making clothing that hangs in many of our closets. These included brands like Benetton, The Children’s Place, and Walmart. This discovery made it clear: the clothing we wear is connected to those who provide it. Many of these women suffered and died while living in naked sweat-shop conditions of poverty and exploitation, making little more than a dollar a day.
In Matt. 25, Jesus challenges us to overcome moral blindness with respect to clothes and to open our eyes to the needs and nakedness of others. And those judged by Jesus who ignore the needy and naked confess: “Lord, when did we see you naked”? Ignorance is neither an option nor an excuse. Jesus will have none of it.
This is a spiritual task. Remember – it matters because how we treat and honor the bodies of others, even strangers, reflects how we treat and honor Jesus himself. I don’t want to see Jesus in a sweat shop.
But, it’s not all about shame and sweat.
I love the fact that the Bible uses the word “signs and wonders” as a means of describing God’s miraculous use of people (Acts 2:22, 2:43, 14:3). The word “signs” reminds us that our God is ever-communicating guide who wishes to let us know constantly, continually, convincingly, that we are loved. Can the clothes we wear be such a sign as well? I recently heard of a young Amish woman who left her community and the traditional clothing to become a pastor. In her first sermon she asked a haunting question: “Now that I don’t wear clothing that marks me as [a] member of a Christian community, is there anything about me that says I have been with Jesus?” Can our clothing bear witness to our commitments and our truest selves? Can the daily clothing of our bodies illuminate our invisible baptismal garb? Can the clothes we wear reflect the love of God who graciously wishes to clothe everyone finer than the “flowers of the field”? Well, yes.
As Christians we should wish that our clothes reveal us as God’s children and express God’s love for us and others. Culturally, clothes have become a sign, potential billboards for all kinds of messages. They are, in many ways, removable tattoos that can message what is going on inside in helpful and powerful ways. There’s something incredibly Christian about asking the question: “What are my clothes saying?”
As with food there is freedom and creativity here and not one way to wear or even conceive of clothes. The Bible guides us but it does not in great detail tell us how to dress. For some people, adornment is an extension of who they are, and expresses something important about them. For others, the simplicity or refusal to think too much about our clothing can equally say important things. If we are to honor our bodies, it is important to pay attention to how clothes free or constrain us. What is constraining for one person can be freeing for another. I’d like to offer some possible ways of thinking about clothes and faith.
Clothes can literally speak kindness to others. Pastor Helen loves to wear clothing that share words of compassion and kindness. Clothes with literal messages that reflect what she thinks and believes. Not too long ago a coffee shop where she frequents had the barista introduce her to another employee and said, “This is Helen. She always wears kind clothing like this.” They love her clothes which sign compassion, kindness and care. They were shocked to learn that she was a pastor. Apparently, they didn’t expect such clothes of kindness on a Christian. I also have friends who wear specific things to remind them of God’s presence to pray and care for others. Maybe for Lent you can consider some item of clothing or jewelry to help you remember to pray.
Clothes can connect us to lovely God-given aspects of our identity. This past week I received an incredible “thank you” message from one of the staff members at Liberty Elementary for a gift-card that we gave to each teacher and staff member. In my note, I expressed a desire that they use the money not for kids but hopefully something nice for themselves. This staff member said that she purchased a shirt which connected to her Caribbean origins and celebrated her Puerto Rican heritage and how proud she was to wear something that spoke of where she came from, that spoke of home. Wearing the clothes of our ethnic heritages can be ways of remembering and celebrating the vast and incredible diversity within the Kingdom of God.
Clothes can reflect internal emotions is healthy outward ways. In the Bible, grief and repentance are sometimes articulated by clothes that are ripped or torn. When Reuben finds that his brother Joseph had been sold into slavery, he tears his clothes (Genesis 37:29). We wear our clothes as extensions of our bodies and as signs of what is happening invisibly inside of us. I had a friend who after a traumatic ordeal of pain and loss wore only black for over year to show his pain and mourning.
Wow – now that’s a churchy word but it’s also an incredibly lovely one as well. Sacrament literally means mystery and has been used by the church to describe certain practices or rituals that bring people into the orbit of God’s love. As far as I am aware, we really can’t improve upon the definition offered by Augustine who said: “A sacrament is a visible form of an invisible grace.” Let that drive your choices for what you wear.
Two more stories that reflect this sacramental perspective.
A donation of rags – an anti-sacrament. I once heard a man who stood before his church asking for help in clothing a family of refugees so that the parents could find jobs and the kids be ready for school. Two weeks later the man stood in front of the congregation visibly upset and angry and said, “I asked you to clothe this family. Instead I have received castoffs from decades ago, clothes that are out of date, out of style. Clothes that are missing buttons, cloths with broken zippers, clothes that are in some cases dirty.” This is, of course, the opposite of what we want – an anti-sacrament story that visibly reveals not grace but indifference. So what would a sacramental way of donating clothes look like? Two helpful tips from a friend: 1) If it goes unworn for six months, it is taken out, cleaned, pressed, and given away. 2) When a new article of clothing is purchased, some article of clothing is donated to someone who needs it. In this way, no piece of clothing belongs to any one person alone; every dress, every coat, is destined for someone else and visibly expresses God’s desire to clothe others with compassion.
A dress full of prayers. The theologian Stephanie Paulsell writes of an incredibly painful experience of having a miscarriage the day after Christmas leaving her, she says, “screwed to my bed with depression, unable to work, read, or pray.” She was, however, able to talk to friends and she poured out her heart. She cried to her friend Kay, “I am so depressed that I can’t even pray. I try to pray, but I can’t.” A few days later, a package arrived from her that contained a simple beige jumper and a note that read, “I have prayed in this dress every day for a year. You don’t have to pray. Just wear it. It is full of prayers.” “I was naked in my grief,” Paulsell writes, “and my friend clothed me.” The jumper was a visible sign of an invisible grace.
Which clothes will we wear? Which clothes will we give? With which sacrament will we clothe others? Don’t worry. Consider the flowers in the field.
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