Night of Joy

The last week has been spent trying to get back the sleep I lost from spending a whole Saturday through to the night with a group from my church attending the Night Of Joy festivities at Hollywood Studios in Orlando. It was a great experience getting to know these young kids who we are hoping will become a greater part of our church and eventually become the foundation of our church's growth for the next several decades.

Walking amidst the thousands of young people with t-shirts and other Christian paraphernalia my priest, who is not from the United States, asked me a poignant question. Did I think Christianity in this country had become too commercialized?

It gave me pause.

My first reaction was that all the products that young and old people buy that sport Christian symbols or messages were going against the culture. But then I realized that in some ways he was right. Christian culture has been inundated with so many brands, logos, and slogans that it was hard to defend my position. I was also resistant because I've owned more than my fair share of Christian t-shirts.

But I also realized a key fact that I pointed to my priest. A Christian t-shirt on the right back with the right message can be a message. A person who wears a shirt but has no idea the significance of what they are wearing and who cannot explain it with any authority, are actually witnessing against what they are trying to promote. I've seen this happen more than once with both Christian and non-Christian apparel.

I think that wearing Christian clothing is great. It is not only an opportunity to be a witness for Christ in this highly secularized world but it can also be a challenge to the wearer to learn more about their Christian faith before they decide to wear it. Plus, it beats the other messages people out there are sporting.

In the end, be careful what you wear. Someone just might ask you what it means.