Cool Christian T-Shirts?
I was once asked by someone why I would waste the time to make a "christian t-shirt"? I simply said to them, "just to make a statement". I believe too many people have said way too much and taken away the simplicity of Christ's message. With a design, we can share something simple or deep and leave the viewer asking their own questions.
In case you haven't taken a look around at what most people are wearing these days, it's not the plain ole stuff that people were happy with just a few years ago. Everywhere you look people are wearing trendy, stylish designs, even tattoo artwork on their t-shirts, hoods, jackets, sweaters, coats, sweatshirts, pants, hats, bags, jewelry, shoes and more! Skulls, crosses, swords, knives, flowers, eagles, people, tribal designs, and every other grungy element you can imagine has landed on clothing near you. Under the skillful direction of a new breed of artists and designers, clothing is being manufactured and sold to the masses. One famous (secular) t-shirt company alone, which I will not name, sells over 50,000 shirts a month at the average price of $50! You do the math. That's one company out of hundreds riding this fashion wave straight to the bank. There are other companies selling these same types of shirts for over $150 a piece. That's alot of money but could you imagine how many people could get your message if that was your canvas?
So, how does this fashion movement impact the average Christian? Well, who knows... but whether we like it or not, all of us subscribe to some fashion perspective, voluntarily or involuntarily. People remember you, and unfortunately, many times will judge you simply based on what kind of clothing you wear. No, it's not always right, but it's a fact and besides, chances are you have probably at some time or another been guilty of it yourself. But, even if you don't have the best clothing out there, you can work with what you've got to fit in, stand out, or make a statement to the people you are around each day. Your clothing is an outward expression of your personality and who you are, so no matter what your budget, choose a style that represents you best. You can have more than one style in your closet, and of course, your work attire is probably a different topic altogether!
Fashion is also a reflection of your culture. Some cultures encourage creativity and diversity in fashion, while others stifle it or even condemn it. Ever seen some of the extremist Mormon church leaders who have a number of different wives? If you have, I think you can agree that they have clearly made a fashion statement of their own. This comes as a result of forbidding their communities from mingling with others outside their circles. It's religious control and it effects much more than the closet. It seems they're always twenty years behind the rest of the world, because they feel a strong conviction to be separate and yet for some reason twenty years later, what they condemned before is now acceptable. Unfortunately, those who live under cultural or religious bondage can seldom appreciate creativity and diversity outside their own circles. Some people feel if it's different than they are used to, well, it's just wrong.
The designer t-shirt business is a niche market and everyone should be free to have a little creativity in their style, whether it includes them or not. Perhaps there are some designs that may not meet your approval, and there are some that I'm sure we would all agree are distasteful but to criticize anything simply because it does not suit our own taste is close minded. If we really want to influence the culture and change the world, we should learn to appreciate the creativity and diversity that God has given to others outside our own world. It's so much easier to pass judgment than it is to help someone. Actually, that's a biblical principle.
What am I talking about? Babylon. Ever thought about why God would allow the Biblical prophet Daniel to be taken captive and carried away as a child into the wicked Kingdom of Babylon? In fact, his whole Nation was made slaves to Babylon. I don't know what you know about Babylon, but you can read enough about it in the Bible and other historical accounts to know it was not a Kingdom that was known for it's godliness or conservative lifestyles. In fact, the book of Revelation even makes many references to this cursed city, and yet somehow God strategically allowed the young prophet, Daniel, to suffer through the process of losing his family, and be forced to become a servant to the government of this kingdom. As you may know, through this painful process, God granted Daniel favor with the government officials, as he grew and excelled in learning the language and protocol of this "worldly" government. In the end, Daniel made a profound impact on both it's leaders and citizens. Daniel literally brought the Kingdom of God into the Kingdom of Babylon as he was promoted to a high ranking position of influence and authority. So, why don't we think more strategically like this today? The Kingdom of God is meant to be INSIDE the cultures of the world but because of unfounded religious ideas, some "Christians" are busy living in their own OUTSIDE of the cultures of the world, doing very little to reach them. By rejecting the culture around them, many Christians in some way or another have created a culture of their own. You can't get in unless you talk like them, dress like them, and believe every single thing that they do! Religion can be disgusting. And, this culture that's been created is usually defined more by what they reject and condemn than by faith, truth, God-given creativity, equality, and tolerance of other human beings.
Perhaps if we stop battling the culture and allow God's work to be done in us, we may in the process gain favor and become a major influence on the people. When you look a little closer at our Biblical heros, you find some of God's greatest leaders, like Daniel and Joseph, were a blessing to the world's cultures, communities, governments, and the citizens. They didn't fight the "world system" as some would say, they allowed God to make them such an intricate part of it, they were able to impact the world forever. This is what the Kingdom of God is about! However, to be relevant and effective, we must learn the language of the culture that God has placed us in just as Daniel was forced to do. You can't talk in a language that only other Christians understand. The Apostle Paul said it's "Christ in you, the hope of glory." That means your message of Christ to others should be a message of hope, and you'll never give hope to people if you can't talk their language. When you love someone you'll look for what you have in common with them, so you can relate to them, and this is the foundation on which the most effective evangelism is built. Here is the biblical basis... take a look at 1 Corinthians 9:
19-For though I be free from all men, yet have I made myself servant unto all, that I might gain the more.
20-And unto the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might gain the Jews; to them that are under the law, as under the law, that I might gain them that are under the law;
21-To them that are without law, as without law, (being not without law to God, but under the law to Christ,) that I might gain them that are without law.
22-To the weak became I as weak, that I might gain the weak: I am made all things to all men, that I might by all means save some.
23-And this I do for the gospel's sake, that I might be partaker thereof with you.
Together, we share a great mission to present Christ’s message of hope to the world today but we must do so using the language of the cultures of the world. If you can't speak their language then you can't reach the people. Christ was an incredible communicator, quite acquainted with the culture and was willing to go into society to share his message outside the borders of the preestablished religious influences and systems of his day. Healthy infants are born with the instinct to learn to communicate with the world around them, starting by simply listening and trying to make the sounds that they hear. We all have the capacity to expand and learn to appreciate the diversity of other cultures while remaining true to our heartfelt convictions. Daniel's life was a great example of what God may do with us, when we are willing to be taken out of our comfort zones for a greater purpose. The thought of it may not freely align with our current religious ideaology, but I'm sure we all can agree, religion as usual does not change the world anyway. Daniel was chosen by God to be raised up as a leader in the kingdom of Babylon only after spending years learning the language of the culture and the government to which he was sent to become a voice in his day. And although he was divinely placed in this strategic place of influence and responsibility, it was Daniel’s duty to learn to communicate effectively so that he could excel in his assignment. Daniel yielded himself to the process and became the 3rd greatest ruler in the government of Babylon. Wouldn't you agree that his life was a greater testimony of the greatness of God than if he would have died in prison cursing the government that God sent him to be a part of? We can waste our time fighting the cultures and pointing out everything that we don't agree with, or we can let the God of the universe handle some of that on His own. Everyone of us have the same right and responsibility to yield ourselves to this process designed by God to carry us into our own greatness, and in the end, impact the culture in which we live. Don't let anyone or anything steer you from your course.
So, someone asked, what's the purpose in having Christian t-shirts? Communication. I agree there are a lot of cheesey t-shirts our there and there are some that do nothing more than promote religious cliches or even wars between various sects. Some of these tees gain attention with religious parodies of "worldly" icons but I believe for the most part, those styles are ineffective and distasteful. To me, they ceratainly misrepresent the intentions Christ had in us reaching the world and some of these tees for "witnessing" become barriers pushing people further away from the Truth. So what's different about what we do? Let me just say, there are a number of good artists out there and other inspirational/christian clothing brands like us who are simply taking advantage of a popular form of art in today's culture to make it an effective method for sharing a message of hope to the world around us. Some of us love designing and expressing our God-given creative ideas, while others may see it simply as a way to share a message, and I'm sure there are a few who see it only as a business. It's our method of inspiring other believers and sparking interest in the world around us. Our inspirational designs as we make on t-shirts, clothing, hats, water bottles and other items are simply a creative method to present Christ/Truth to our generation in a language they know, while providing a great product that anyone can enjoy. As the old saying goes "A picture is worth a thousand words".
Anybody out there agree? If so, I hope you'll come check out our growing collection of inspired designs on our t-shirts, hats, and other products.
Pacific Oracle- You Can't Kill the Message
