The tenth anniversary 9/11 has come and gone (I meant to write this about a month ago), and with it has come and gone another important day in the lives of every American: opening Sunday of the NFL regular season. And we almost had a good scandal to make the day a true American holiday. It seems that several of the players were planning on violating the NFL’s strict uniform code. Chicago Bears linebacker Lane Briggs had specially made gloves, shoes and other gear to wear in commemoration of 9/11 and was expecting a fine in the neighborhood of 15K. The NFL believed that it’s official pre-game ceremonies, the commemorative ball-caps for the coaches and the little sleeve patches for the players were enough. (The NFL eventually gave-in and allowed the players to wear their custom gear).
It kind of reminded me of the way a lot of us wear our faith, and how we compartmentalize it. For many Christians our faith is something between us and God. Don’t mention it outside of church on Sunday. Outside of that you should look like everybody else. But if you want to wear a small cross around your neck, we will authorize that. I used to be that way. The problem is that the enemy has worked through the media to create a public image of a Christian that looks a lot like Ned Flanders from “The Simpsons”. That irritatingly chipper, Kumbaya singing, holy rolling Jesus freak. And of course we’ve all met a few real life Ned’s to reinforce the image. We hide the lamps of our faith under a bowl because we don’t want to be that person that everybody is avoiding and laughing at. But it really doesn’t have to be like that. I have found that I can weave my faith into the fabric of my everyday life in a way that isn’t pestering, or showy and self-righteous, or a media caricature. It can be real, be pleasant to be around, and I can look like a perfectly normal person. Once I figured out how to do that, and did it, I found something amazing: I had been surrounded by people who NEEDED that. There were people all around me who needed someone who could provide a different perspective on their problems. Who needed to see that it was possible to stay calm in the midst of a storm and know almost without asking what the persons anchor was. They needed someone they knew they could go to who would counsel them when they needed it without judging them or looking down on them or preaching at them. There were even church-going people who had questions about spiritual things that they had never learned in church before. I wasn’t a laughingstock. I was a light.
Putting on your faith like this is like looking into one of those abstract pictures that has an image hidden inside of it. You know – the kind that you have to really look at for a while, look past the surface and into the depths of it? And suddenly the image jumps out at you. And once you’ve seen you always see it. The first time I tried to see one of those pictures it took me forever; after the first couple I saw, I could start to see the images in other ones almost right away, without even working at it. When you put on your faith, God will reveal to you those shadows that he needs you to bring your light too.
My faith is not a piece of jewelry to hang around my neck, or an abbreviation to hang on my wrist, or a little patch for my sleeve. It is a coat of many colors that covers me entirely. It should be pants, shirt, jacket AND tie. And maybe a great pair of shoes.
tveministries 
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