Ripping of the Red, White, and Blue Jean...

Isaiah 61:4

Then they will rebuild the ancient ruins, They will raise up the former devastations; And they will repair the ruined cities, The desolations of many generations.

No type of clothing is more closely associated with the United States than the blue jean. Our flag should actually use denim as a backdrop for our States' stars. We all have come from different lands, and most of us not from privilege but as working stock. My ancestors were apparently pig farmers on my Dad's side. I am proud to note that I have bacon in my blood.

So, the blue-collar blue jean is our national wear and required clothing for every Casual Day in workplaces nationwide. My school uses Casual Days weekly to raise money for a worthy cause, often more than once a week even, that I think we should call it the "Blue Jean Tax."

Jesus was a Blue Jean Jew metaphorically. A working man, a carpenter, a builder. God, when He came to earth, did not settle into a position of ease but took the sweat of the brow curse and blessing of hard labor. The story of the world is the rich subjugating the labor of another for its own account. Jesus comes to this broken world, appropriates this Chapter 61 in Isaiah to Himself at the beginning of His ministry starting in the synagogue of hometown Nazareth, and moves outward into the ruins. Ruined cities are comprised not just of ruined buildings, but more importantly, ruined lives.

I find the verses in Is. 61 sobering yet also very encouraging. The downward slide of culture can be halted by the God of grace who by His body and blood repairs the ruin.

What had brought about this reflection was noting yesterday that my current two casual blue jean pairs are both starting to develop a rip in the crotch area. That caused me to think that this pattern has actually happened to previous pairs and I have never noticed the trend. Upon analysis, here is my take on why this has happened. I am an extremely tall man. 6 foot 8 inches. Mostly leg. When I sit in chairs and couches designed for "normal" people, my legs have a tendency to fan outwards to accommodate the seat to my backside and butt. It is uncomfortable for me to keep my legs togethers as it causes my legs and posterior to rise off the chair. So, I tend to slouch to fit seats that are not built for guys like me. And you thought I was just being a slacker.

This slouching places, I surmise, an enormous amount of stress on the crotch region stitching and fabric where the legs join at the zipper. I ordered two new pairs of Levis yesterday and vow to more attentive to how I can sit properly as not to rip them in the future. When examing rips to our national fabric, it would also be wise to try and figure out why they are happening. If individuals insist on living lives that lead to ripping and ruin, we have to have a serious conversation about responsibility before issuing new blue jeans. Repairing a wrong is actually a lot harder than avoiding a wrong to start with, and we can use our past as a way to reflect and reform our current ragged culture.

These are not easy or comfortable conversations to have. We have developed a "Judge Not" ethos but then still expect others to pay for our mistakes and bad decisions. At some point soon, charity needs to awaken the conscience. And don't think that our corporate mavens are not in need of some soul repair and replacement either. It is easy to pick on the poor. We are all in ruins, both the Blue and the Red. And only Jesus, can make either White.