Too Much Baggage for the Journey – What to Wear

Greetings Dear Reader,

This may seem ridiculous to you Dear Reader but I assure you it exists.  There are factions of the church that actually tell their members what to wear.  They forbid women to wear pants.  They do not allow real bathing suits.   Some even go so far as to say that men and women should not swim together. 

There are more extremes but I think you get the image.  Instead of focusing on the love of the Gospel they focus on minor issues.  More attention is given to the outer appearance than to the soul.  They take the idea of separation to an extreme that causes division and judgment.

The problem is that it creates a hedge around the Gospel that hinders access.  It is the responsibility of all Christ followers to create as few barriers as possible.  We are to give people as little reason as possible to not consider Christ.

This does not mean that we are not to have standards.  We are to be separate and holy.  We are not to reject people to do so.  Telling people what they have to be in things like dress and hair length is not how we share our faith. 

We live it out in love.  We are kind and generous.  That is the only baggage we are to put into the Gospel.  I do not need to hinder it by telling people how to dress or what values they should embrace socially.  This extends to so many other social questions.

I do not have to accept or participate in things that I cannot do in good faith.  I am forbidden from dictating what others should do.  If I follow Christ in faith and do my best to love others as he does that is enough to carry.     

Wishing you joy in the journey,

Aramis Thorn

Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every writer who has become a disciple of Christ’s rule of the universe is like a home owner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store.”

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