A Christian Teen's Perspective On Christian Clothing
Many people wear Christian clothing today. Choosing clothing tends to be a very personal task. Most people like our clothing to reflect our identity or who we are. Christian clothing is particularly popular among teens and young adults. Julianne, a Christian teen from Montana, shares her perspective on Christian clothing here. Julianne admits that eighty percent of her wardrobe is Christian clothing.
Why do you wear Christian clothing?
"I think there are several reasons.... For one thing, it makes a point to this society where God is overlooked, and where people tend to try and hide the truth just because society doesn't like it. Also, I think it's good that someone makes a stand. We have the honor of living in a country where we have freedoms, so why not use this freedom for the better, to further God's kingdom. Oh, and Christian clothes are just cool."
Who wears Christian clothing?
"The group is diverse in some ways, blacks, whites, Irish, Hispanic - race doesn't matter. It's a lot like the missionaries. All different kinds and colors of people. But they are all similar types of people. They all have the guts to stand up, they all have a love for Christ, and none of them mind people staring at their shirts or hats whenever they are in public."
Where do you wear Christian Clothing?
"There are places that can be dangerous in some cases. I wont lie - there are some people who condemn you for your outfits. I wear them everywhere. School, the store, church, work when possible, anywhere. I don't personally mind being scoffed and condemned for my outfit. I figure that god was condemned so there is apt to be some pain and troubles in our life as followers."
What are the benefits of wearing Christian clothing?
"Well, let me explain something to you. I am going into eleventh grade. And high school is a tough place to talk about God and Christianity. By wearing these shirts, it is one way to open up conversation. History class is the best of all. But people scoff you at first for wearing them but sooner or later every time you come to school with a new one on people crowd around to read it and ask you about it. It's great. If I go to school in regular shirts, I'm asked why I am not wearing my Christian shirts. It just makes me feel good to know that it is grabbing people's attention."
Some people may say that Christian clothing is just hype. What do you think - Is Christian clothing ministry or hype?
"I would say it is a ministry. Because you can affect so many people in one day wearing a shirt. In this day in age you really can't just walk up to someone and ask them... 'Do you know where you will be when you die?' So it is a chance to engage people in conversation. So yeah, it's a ministry."
Some people strongly view their clothing as an expression of who they are. For them, wearing Christian clothing is the only appropriate expression of their faith. Is this something you can relate to?
"I would say that wearing this clothing is ONE way to demonstrate your faith but not the only one. I believe that serving is the most important way to express my faith and love. But wearing these shirts does help me both express my faith and helps define who I am."
People choose to wear clothes for different reasons. But, as Julianne observed, wearing Christian clothing provides some great ministry opportunities. Christian clothing makes it easy to share your faith with everyone around you.