Getting your "Logos" right

Earlier this evening, I got into a crowded elevator in my brand new polo t-shirt, one of those special edition ones with a huge horse and rider woven across the chest and a number 3 on the sleeve.

As I entered the lift , I heard someone exclaim, “Whoa that’s a big polo logo, I’ve never seen anything like that, I hope they pay you for it.”

Startled by this stranger, I suddenly felt like a walking billboard for Ralph Lauren, except I was the one who did the paying as far as advertising money was concerned.

But it got me thinking about the secular symbols we proudly wear, and the religious symbols we hide away in embarrassment lest anyone sees them and snicker at our piety.

Why do some of us spend so much money and effort decking ourselves in the biggest brands, the latest trends, and the coolest names…whether it’s in the form of fashion, cars, real estate, corporate jobs or even the schools we attend…and politely decline wearing our crosses over our breasts, saying grace in public, or in the case of clerics and religious; sporting a roman collar or habit?

Perhaps we don’t want to be thought of as some religious whacko, since any kind of religious sentiment today is often decried in our enlightened societies as intolerant, fanatical and generally clouded in medieval superstition.

To even admit that you are a Christian can invite scorn in some parts. So what happens to the kingdom of God when we continue to hide our rosaries, crosses, beliefs and bibles beneath the fabric of popular fashion and political correctness?

It’s interesting to see that as we abandon the symbols of our spiritual heritage, and put on the armour of materialism to ward off any uncomfortable criticism of our faith, the world greedily picks up these abandoned symbols of Christianity and plants them on the altar of unholy mockery in the name of fashion and art.

Since believing Christians are embarrassed to honour and reverence the images of their association with Christ, why should the secular world (which is often hostile to Christ and his teachings) feel any embarrassment about mocking these symbols and images, and indeed, displaying them in a public arena long declined by Christians?

The more embarrassed Christians are in using these images with reverence, the more audacious the pagan world becomes in using these images in sacrilege.

From fashion-customed rosaries, crucifixes and crosses to blaspheming motifs and designs on t-shirts, to gallery art pieces like a crucifix immersed in urine or a statue of the Virgin Mary covered with a condom, nothing is sacred or off limits when sacrificed to the idols of free expression.

But amidst the desensitizing of our times, there is hope on the horizon. A younger generation of Christians are witnessing with a dignity and openness that gives courage to orthodoxy.

You see them proudly wearing their crosses in public. They’re not ashamed to read their bibles on the train. They stand up for their faith in any public debate, often with great charity and respect for the dissenting views of their critics. They display a natural comfort with saying grace in public, or confessing their love for Jesus with unfeigned honesty. And in little ways, they begin to rescue contemporary culture from the edge of irreligion.

I used to avoid the Catholic tradition of making the sign of the cross when saying grace in public, preferring instead to quietly mumble a thanksgiving under my breath, until I heard a professor of theology once exclaim to a class, “Peter was crucified upside down, Paul lost his head for it, and the early Christians were torched, killed and eaten by wild beasts for witnessing to this symbol of our great redemption. What are you afraid of? That unkind snicker, that patronizing look, that uncharitable comment?”

Thank God most of us live in a free society where the practice of our faith will not endanger our lives, where we can freely worship and witness without repercussions to our health and reputation. So why don’t we?

Our refusal to do so for fear of losing human respect is a travesty and insult to the many Christians of our own time, who continue to risk imprisonment and death by boldly practising their faith amidst the horror of totalitarian regimes hostile to religion and God. Even for those who worship secretly in “underground” communities, the threat of being discovered, tortured and sent to labour camps are all too real.

Let us begin to rescue our schools, our homes, our offices, our entertainment and society from a chronic amnesia of God, particularly when in some parts of the world, crosses are being removed from Catholic classrooms, Christian worship is banned, carrying a bible can get you arrested, and priests are increasingly forbidden to wear their cassocks and collars.

Will we succeed overnight? No, all good habits take time to foster, but we can begin with renewed love for that most basic embrace of our Christian vocation – the cross.

From this powerful symbol of our great redemption, we can begin to reclaim our world for God and goodness; one prayer, one witness, one grace before meals, one bible in the hand, one crucifix on our breast, one Christian bumper sticker, one inspirational t-shirt, one rosary in our fingers at a time.

And yes, “advertising” like this does pay handsomely…

"If anyone acknowledges me publicly here on earth, I will openly acknowledge that person before my Father in heaven." Matthew 10:32

P.S (By the way, the Greek word “Logos” is commonly used to describe Christ, the divine word made flesh.)