In 90+ degree weather people tend to wear a lot less clothing. While I was supporting redneck communities world wide by donning a "wife beater"*, in an attempt to keep my temperature down, most of the girls at CP were not donning much of anything in an attempt to make sure that their body temps stayed down while the temps of others went up (that's only a guess though...I don't know their hearts....although they did try to show people).
In the midst of this hot, immodest mass of humanity there they stood.
While I was waiting the entirely worthwhile 45 minutes to ride the Millennium Force I saw them. Standing on the ramp of destiny (when you are on the ramp it means you are close to the front) they stood proud, embracing a sign of their faith, embracing their heritage, embracing the lifestyle that came before them. Beside them stood a stark contrast. Similar in age, similar in nationality, similar in the desire to ride the greatest roller coaster ever created, but so different at the same time.
The group I am speaking of was a group of girls, a part of the graduating class of 2012, from Dearborn, Michigan. For those of you who do not know, Dearborn's population includes 30,00 Arab Americans. It has the largest proportion of Arab Americans for a city of its size in the US*.
Perhaps the reason I noticed these girls so clearly was because of the modesty they were displaying. While the crowd around them was showing quite a bit of skin, these young ladies were wearing their school shirt, jean capris, and head coverings. Perhaps the most contrast came when I noticed a group of girls right beside them in line. As I stated ealier, similar in age, similar in nationality, but not similar in their embrace. While the young ladies from Dearborn were embracing a sign of their faith, their heritage, their devotion- I do not know the reason for their choosing to wear a hijab, whether it was forced upon them, whether they knew the significance, whether it was simply cultural for their family, or whether it was a true, understood sign of their faith and devotion...I do not know- the young ladies beside them were embracing the style and identity of American pop culture; a culture that does not go very deep and does not ask one to cover up much...except honesty, sound judgment, morals, and established convictions and identity. Just being honest.
I did not write this blog to push for the wearing of head coverings for all American women or even to differentiate between western tradition vs. eastern tradition. Rather, I wrote this blog to make us all stop and think. What are we allowing to shape our lives. What are we embracing? What outward manifestations are we showing? What convictions and commitments are we allowing to shine through our whole life?
Someday when I have children, someday when my life will continue through the lives of those I helped to raise, I want them to have something of value to hold on to. I want my line to display something different, something glowing, something world changing. I don't want my life or the lives of the generations to come to be more affected by changing pop culture trends and styles then they are by God and the passion they have to be obedient and set apart for him. I want my daughters to be secure in their identity and their knowledge of God so that when they are 14 years old they are not flaunting their newly developed breasts and caking seduction on their faces. I want my desires and the lives of all who come into contact with me to be centered around the cross of Christ, not around a culture that says acceptance needs to be gained by any means necessary.
This isn't about women's clothing morality, this is much deeper. This is an issue of the heart.
This is not the collision of culture.
This is the collision of desires.
*I do not condone spousal abuse...or know the proper name of the shirt.
*Thank you wikipedia
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1 comment:
Well written article.
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