The Experiment - God and Fashion
Did you know that people tend to show fashion instead of faith in church? We don't want to denunciate people to not know Jesus but misusing the church for a fashion show or to present the newest jewelry to the public instead of true faith in Jesus in church is so wrong. But people do this and some even go to church just to ensure their ego that they are well accepted by the church community and well esteemed. Their self-esteem and their ego is based on these external facts, they can show their car, their jewelry, their newest best cloths all of what their ego is based on.
I personally never wear any jewelry, I don't even wear a clock and my friends laugh at me because I go on a bike tour with them and with a jeans that is way too big because I lost 16 kg of body weight. I agree it looks funny but I have to dress properly now so that my friends continue to go out with me. That much I don't care about fashion and these external facts people use to judge about a person. I became the number one talk topic last time I met with my friends in a pub because of that bike tour with my jeans - especially because of the jeans. However I don't care! It doesn't make me ashamed and I feel blessed that I feel like there is nothing to it. That is because I search my identity and put my own self-esteem based on what I feel from inside me, about what is really important and what matters most in life. That is the true lesson you can learn from Jesus.
In the Thomas Evangelium you can read the following:
- His disciples said, "When will you appear to us, and when will we see you?"
Jesus said, "When you strip without being ashamed, and you take your clothes and put them under your feet like little children and trample them, then [you] will see the son of the living one and you will not be afraid."
Today I read a book by Laurent Gounelle half through. The title is: "Und du wirst den verborgenen Schatz in dir finden" which means: And you will find the hidden treasury inside of you. Part of this book is written about a female marketing manager who tries to find her clues about the lessons of Jesus and does an experiment. She walks into a noble fashion boutique with the worst cloths she can find just to get completely ignored because everyone thinks she does not have the money to buy anything. She feels ashamed that way but she begins to feel the freedom that comes along that way. In addition she buys all different condomes at a store to get a clue why those people should be blessed who are maligned. And she feels ashamed again. Finally she realizes that these experiments help her to separate her ego from these lukewarm facts. She starts to do good deeds to others and slowly finds her way to spirituality.
I did those experiments my whole life because my parents were not rich and they certainly had no money to finance the lastest fashion. I had to wear cloths of my cousins when they grew out of their size. I never learned to follow fashion. Today I could easily finance fashion but I absolutely see no sense in doing so. Instead I run around with old cloths and I still feel like there is absolutely nothing to it. Others have to point on the fact that I should not run around like this, especially when I go to business in old, wrong sized jeans that way. Then I follow their advice partly because I don't want to cause any trouble or because I don't want them to be ashamed because of me - knowing me, but it is not because my self-esteem would benefit from it in any way.
My happiness comes from the fact that I do care about what is really important in life and from my own spirituality. Whoever finds the real treasury hidden within the wisdom of faith sees the world as a decomposing body. There are way too many blind people running around following all desires created by the marketing departments of all the companies on this planet earth. If I can only help a few of them the world around me becomes more meaningfull for all of us.
Finally I want to mention that I can show up in a business suit as well if that is expected of me or for a professional photo shooting. The important message is that my self-esteem is not based on the fashion and that I am basically the same person no matter if I show up in a business suit or in wrong sized jeans.
Feel free to post a comment to this article if you feel like me or also if you disagree. I am pleased to discuss my attitudes with you.
Bernhard