"Freeing Christ from His Uniforms"
Sunday, April 20, 2003
Contrast how the world and the Church differ in their celebration of Easter 2003. From a trends' observer, one man noticed how the military has entered into the world's celebration. "Walgreens is retreating from plans to sell packaged Easter baskets in which toy soldiers and other war toys were featured nestled among the Easter candies." With the Easter celebration here, it is worth noting how commercial interests are treating the Christian holy day. Wal-mart continued plans to sell three types of baskets with military figures and accessories. "We share in the pride of Americans toward our service men and women," said Karen Burk (george.loper.org/trends). Look at this Easter and think how often Christ has been crowded into various uniforms.
Sometimes Christ has been crowded into a military uniform. During the trial of Jesus, Matthew gives us this significant detail: "They stripped off [Jesus] clothes are threw a scarlet military cloak about him" (Matthew 27:28, NAB). In the first century, men put Jesus in the red cloak of a Roman general. Today the color of military is khaki. During the First World War, people talked about "Christ in khaki." Certainly, the celebration of Easter means that Christ has been set free from our meager efforts to make him the sponsor of our military adventures. We need to distinguish our aims from God's good purposes for humanity.
Sometimes Christ has been crowded into a church uniform. He has been smothered with vestments from church stores. Halford Luccock wrote these words nearly 80 years ago: "The living Jesus, the Divine Christ, has been lost again and again in the uniform of the ecclesiastical prince, the priest, the monk, the bishop, or any other conventional figure of religion." Let our Easter celebration set Christ free from the trappings of church officials. May we no longer make Christ the defender of our church interests and the one who looks with blind eye on the Church's abuses. Christ is not in the hands of the Church; the Church is in the hands of Christ.
Sometimes Christ has been crowded into a business suit. On my book shelves are these volumes by Laurie Beth Jones: Jesus in Blue Jeans and Jesus C.E.O. Some seventy years ago, Bruce Barton, a member of the famous advertising agency, crowded Christ into the uniform of executive and businessman. Even when these attempts are made to honor Christ, they constrict him and narrow him in our eyes. As we have celebrated Easter, may we set Christ free from the various uniforms into which we have dressed him. He has been raised above our neat little categories. It is not only death that no longer holds Christ. Our limited thoughts can no longer imprison him. He has been raised!
