FAITH MATTERS Putting On The Clothes Of Christ

HALLOWEEN COSTUMING GIVES RISE TO THOUGHT

“For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” - Galatians 3:27-28 My husband and I are going to a Halloween/ Homecoming party Friday night. It’s been yearssince we dressed up in costumes for Halloween, so I’ve been doing a lot of planning, thinking through how we should dress.

It seems to me that we should dress as a famous couple, since we really are a couple. I’ve thought of Napoleon and Josephine because I think it would be fun to wear a big dress and act like a queen. I’ve also considered Sonny and Cher because I could shop the vintage clothing stores and find a polyester bell-bottomed pant suit for Ted and platform heels and a long, black wig for me.

When I used to dress in costume at Halloween I often chose to be someone totally different from the way I ordinarily look and act. I thought it was fun to hide behinda costume on the one night of the year it’s encouraged to pretend you’re someone else.

Actors regularly hide behind personas, or put on costumes, becoming a character that they are not. Psychologists warn that to a certain extent most of us hide behind masks we’ve created. These protect us from the judgment of others and present what we believe the world wishes to see.

“Putting on a good face” doesn’t just refer to women putting on makeup.

The Apostle Paul, in his letters to the Romans and the Church in Galatia, wrote about “clothing ourselves in Christ” through baptism. Some versions of the Bible use the phrase “putting on Christ.” But the basic idea is the same - because of Jesus Christ we aren’t the same people we used to be.

I like the imagery of clothing ourselves in Christ. At the same time, it points out the very real diff culty associated with allowing the Holy Spirit to fully transform us.

Throughout Holy Scripture, and particularly through the admonitions of the prophets and John the Baptist, we are called upon to repent, to turn around and change our behavior to mirror God’s desire for us.

Jesus tells us that he is “the way” and instructs his followers to follow him. He clearly demonstrated what we are toprioritize - service, caring for those in need, prayer and a complete reversal of power as we know it.

Paul, struck by the transforming power of the risen Christ, proclaimed the message of Jesus. He added new images and ways of understanding how God, through Jesus Christ, had already done all the transforming work of changing us.

Whatever our background, we are brothers and sisters of Christ, and one with Him.

Imagine putting on your Halloween costume and actually becoming what you clothed yourself in! I’d be a lot more careful about my choice of costume, if the choice were permanent. I’d also want to do my best to honor, or at least not dishonor, the image of the character I was portraying.

I think that’s one reason I like the image of clothing myself in Christ. I acknowledge my own shortcomings. I know I can never pretend to be a “little Jesus” in spite of mygood intentions. The best I can do is to “put on Jesus” and try to live into the image.

As we prepare for Halloween during this week before All Hallows Eve, let us do more than purchase candy for children or get ready for parties with costumes and decorations. Give thought to what it would mean to really clothe yourself in Christ - to put on Christ, not just for one evening, but for life.

Spend time thinking of what you’d act like, look like and what the “costume” of Christ looks like - how it resembles you already, or what you’d need to change to put it on.

The glorious reality is that God has already done everything to make that change.

Perhaps we only need to look into a mirror and accept it. Or perhaps we need to live it.

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THE REV. LESLIE BELDEN IS A MINISTER OF THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH (U.S.A.). CONTACT HER AT [email protected].

Religion, Pages 12 on 10/23/2010

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