The very first recorded
activity human beings undertake together is the making of clothes. And this is done not as a practical response
to a drop in the temperature, but in order to deal with shame. It is also the first activity recorded after
the introduction of division between people, and between people and God, enters
our story. As such, making clothes is a
profoundly ungodly thing to do. We see
this still today, in the exploitation of workers in sweat shops; and in the use
of clothing to identify us as distinct from – separated from, and often hostile
towards – other tribes, or communities.
Yet in God’s response –
to make more durable clothes for the man and the woman – we see that this human
activity is an example of our being made to share in God’s nature: that we are
creative because God is creative. As
such, making clothes is a profoundly godly thing to do.
Throughout scripture,
the image of putting on clothing is used to describe an outward expression of
an inner understanding of our identity.
People are described as being clothed, by God, with salvation (being
saved from a situation); with joy; with gladness; with righteousness (living in
a state of right relationships with God and neighbour); with strength and
dignity; with power from on high (Jesus’ description of his sending the Holy
Spirit on his disciples); with an imperishable body, after our present body dies;
with our heavenly dwelling (in the future); and with Christ himself. These all flow from God himself being clothed
in splendour and majesty.
In contrast, the images
are used of being clothed in shame and disgrace, with terror, with despair,
with gloom. All these describe the state
of living in separated autonomy from God – again picking up on the very first
instance of clothing.
The twentieth century
heralded many time-saving devices in the home.
Washing clothes is no longer the chore it used to be – although I am not
convinced that we are happier and less-stressed as a result, or that our
experience is of time being freed up: it is merely consumed by other
things. Nonetheless, even the loading
and unloading of the washing machine can become a spiritual act, in which we
bring any experience of shame or disgrace to God with the dirty laundry as it
goes into the machine; and ‘clothe ourselves’ or intentionally take upon us
joy, righteousness and dignity as we unload the clean laundry.
If you live with
others, you might pray along similar lines for them, too. My children generate a lot of laundry. Despite how little effort it requires, it can
be easy to resent that: instead, I can choose to use it as an opportunity to
pray for them, and not least in regards to their highs and lows at school
(every school is a breeding ground for shaming, and every child needs someone
to take a stand against that in prayer).
Advent:
making room for Jesus – in the washing machine.
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