Christ Is Not A Fashion, Fleeting Away

Those familiar with the band Norma Jean may recognize this line. Indeed, sometimes it seems that being a Christian is a little trendy. I say this because now, coming alongside the Christian community in the past few decades is the Christian ‘scene’.

Firstly, let me clarify a few things. This is not a post about fashion. There is nothing at all wrong with being fashionable. This is not a blog judging the sincere motives of believers; that is never justified. This is a blog that has this basic message: the day that following Christ becomes nothing more than wearing Christian shirts, listening to Christian music, and going to Christian youth groups will be the day that it means nothing at all.

The gospel cannot get lost in the sea of materialism and fashion, but I believe that in some ways, it has. Once again, I’m not questioning the good intentions of sincere believers, but I feel that sometimes the Christian scene places too much emphasis on being hip and trendy. For example, I’m not saying that wearing a shirt that says “Jesus is Lord” is a bad thing, but I think there’s a difference between that and a shirt that says “Jesus Rocks” in Rock Band lettering. Not only do I find the latter somewhat irreverent, but I feel that it’s taking Christ, combining him with a current fad, and then selling it to the kids. I’ve been to at least one church where I felt like the worship time placed more of an emphasis on the people up on stage than on glorifying God. I’ve been to a few youth groups that tried too hard to look like the world. I believe that for every retailer slapped with a Christian label that’s just in it to profit off of the faithful, there’s another one that’s sincere about God. I believe that for every Christian band that sells out and just makes music for the money, there’s another with a message to spread. We just have to remember: it’s not about Christian stuff. That’s not where we find our identity. We find our identity in Christ. Our life’s purpose is to spread the gospel, not keep up with the latest Jesus trend.

There is nothing wrong with listening to Christian music. There is nothing wrong with wearing a “Christian” shirt, or bracelet, or necklace, or whatever. Truthfully, it doesn’t really eternally matter whether you wear a Jesus Rocks shirt or not; after all, it’s only a shirt and nothing more. But let that not be the attitude of our hearts. I for one don’t want to give the world that impression of Christ. To me, Jesus Christ isn’t a rock icon, my homeboy, or someone I chill out with on Sunday morning. He is someone that I should worship everyday in reverence and obedience. Never forget that stuff doesn’t make you a Christian. Flashing a WWJD bracelet at the pearly gates won’t get you in. Jesus doesn’t love you more because you only listen to KLOVE. The strength of your faith isn’t gauged on how many Jesus t-shirts you own or whether you have a Christian fish stuck to your car. When you die, you will be asked to give an account of your life. What did I do to further the kingdom of God? How many people did I reach out too? How much time spreading the good news of the gospel, and how much time did I waste trying to perfect the Christian look? Man looks at the outward appearance, and God looks at the heart. Our heart is all God cares about, and that’s all that really matters.

Jesus transcends time. The message of the gospel transcends time. The gospel has never been trendy and it never will be. Christ was never a fashion, fleeting away. He is the truth: timeless, absolute, and eternal.