Ephesians 6:10-20
“What to Wear”
March 29, 2020
It was the American fashion designer Alexander Wang who said, “Anyone can get dressed up and glamorous, but it is how people dress on their days off that are most intriguing.” These are not exactly the days off that we’ve come to treasure because for so many they mean lost jobs, an early end to the school year and communities where business as usual isn’t.
Given that all of you are joining us from somewhere comfortable in your house where you’ve spent days or even weeks staying at home along with millions, perhaps even billions, around the globe and perhaps you’ve begun to get a bit antsy or have finished bringing order to your cupboards, closets and draws or have knit so much that your fingers are sore, I would hazard to guess that most of you did not dress up this morning. From the looks of all of you, you managed to comb your hair and find a clean shirt but that’s all I would swear to.
One of the strategies for staying well and resilient during these times of social isolation and fear and so much that is unknown is to ask ourselves, “What should I wear today?” because what that can mean is that we continue to give thought to other questions like, “Who am I?” “What am I expecting from this day?” and “How do I see my life moving forward?” (https://washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/2020/03/16/our-clothes-tell-our-story-what-happens-when-narrative-is-just-pajamas-sweats/ )
We know that Fred Rogers offered comfort to young children with the predictability of his wardrobe that nevertheless had minor changes every day.
When he came home from wherever it is he was always entering the front door from, he would have on a solid blue or white button down dress shirt, usually khaki pants and a striped or small patterned business tie. He would trade in his sports jacket for a hand knit sweater in any one of a variety of colors that first were button downs but quickly shifted to zipped ones when it was determined that the buttoning took too long for television.
Once he traded his dress shoes for the navy blue Sperry topsiders or Converse sneakers we knew that he was ready to give his young viewers his attention and was prepared to talk about the things that were on their minds like being scared or having a new baby sister or brother or being worried about growing up. Whether we realized it or not, Mr. Rogers was sending a message of calm and peace and a caring heart through what we saw him wear on the outside that spoke of the person he was on the inside.
Today’s passage from Ephesians is offered to a people who were living in hard times. To be a Christian in Ephesus would be illegal until a couple of hundred years later. Christians then faced harassment and discrimination. Roman soldiers would order them to carry their packs which weighed over 50 pounds for the distance of a mile, the limit of which was part of the military code. He’s using the parts of the uniform of a Roman soldier, the one that Ephesian followers of Jesus would fear and view as the enemy, to represent the strength they have because of their faith in God. And shoes…Those shoes that were such an iconic part of Mr. Rogers outfit? They were a point of connection between Fred and the children he knew were watching – they meant he was ready to meet them where they were at.
So, too, are the shoes that Jesus says to put on. Not literal shoes, of course, but rather a symbol of what will take us out into the world so that we might proclaim the Gospel message of peace through how we treat other people. Now, when we may go days without ever taking our slippers off perhaps we can take the time we seem to have more of right now, to determine how we will take that Gospel message of peace out there when we are finally able to once again move freely after this shared pandemic experience, appreciating anew the freedom and the responsibility to go out bearing kindness and generosity of spirit to people who may have to rebuild the lives they once knew.
Bill Cunningham, who was a photographer of fashion for decades said, “Fashion is the armor to service the reality of everyday life.” As we reflect on the outfit that our faith clothes us in – armor to withstand the trials, the breastplate of righteousness, the shield which will be our protection against losing heart and those shoes – the ones that will move our feet toward the love we have to share and the peace we know but so often forget is ours. This is what to wear, the perfect outfit for every occasion – the abiding presence of God in Jesus who is our hope and our salvation.