Often we
are aware of a large number of motorcyclists rumbling through our town. They seem to largely prefer Harley Davidson’s and black leathers with
Nazi-style black helmets. If you see them up close they are really into brands
beyond their motorcycles: They have Harley jackets, T-shirts’, gloves, dark
glasses, boots and saddlebags. Lacking the money to buy such paraphernalia they
will at the very least have some kind of ‘patch’ or whatever to denote their affiliation.
If you
talk to them, you will find that they live in the fantasy that they are the
true ‘rebels’, or independent thinkers who live ‘outside the box’. They become
very animated about their ‘freedom’ while sitting astride their overpowered
noise-makers. Their worship music sounds like “potato, potato” and they are worshipping
at the altar of Harley Davidson or some such brand. They are conformed to the
idol of an illusion of power. They may be compensating for a sense of lack of
personal power in the circumstances of their lives.
All humans
seek identity and definition. Sadly many believe that they can achieve this by
conforming to the models and brands offered by this world. When we buy into a ‘look’
we simply transfer our membership from one herd or flock to another.
Alice Cooper
the Heavy Metal Rocker who sometimes draped himself with snakes said: “Drinking
beer is easy. Trashing your hotel room is easy; but being a Christian, that's a
tough call. That's rebellion!”
Everything
Jesus did and said reversed the stereotypes of human fashion. “Love your
enemies”, “turn the other cheek”, “don’t worry about your clothes”. (Matthew 5&6.)
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