When I begin to look at what is viewed as common in our community I realize how much has changed since I was a girl. Most things I can appreciate those who came up with the ideas. One are the wonderful roads we travel on that can take us to one place or another. Can you imagine travelling to Medford in a buckboard drawn by a horse. During our fuel crisis I bet some wished they had one today but we just drove to Salem and was praising the Lord for those who went before us and created such wonderful roads. This week we are going to talk about our culture and some of the things that are taking place that makes it harder for the Christian.

We think, jewelry worn today is somewhat outrageous. I remember my son, while in highschool wanted to wear a chain necklace. It was a new fad! We said no! His Jazz group was to wear a chain necklace as part of their costume. We agreed he could do that! In the 70's a TV show, ‘The A Team’, was very popular and one of the good guys was ‘Mr. T’ and he wore oodles of chains around his neck and even earrings. Again a new fad arose! ‘Did you know’, that in biblical times men wore jewelry’? In Judges 8:4 it tells us that the custom of Ishmaelites was to wear gold earrings. Remember the story of Rebekah? Abraham’s servant sees her by the well. After he asks who she is, he puts a ring in her nose and bracelets on her arms. This was to signify that she was now spoken for, however he still needed to get her fathers approval. Let’s think about the ring in her nose. Today we see many with rings in their eyebrows and studs in their noses. I am appalled at this sight! I hate it when someone waits on me at a restaurant with these things sticking out all over their faces. I don’t care if they choose to wear these things but I don’t appreciate their lifestyles flaunted in my face, and over my food.
Even though I wear jewelry, I guess I am more under the dispensation of 1 Timothy 2:9 where he says; "Women are to dress modestly, with decency and propriety, not with braided hair or gold or pearls or expensive clothes, but with good deeds, appropriate for women who profess to worship God". Now, I have pieced ears! Took me a long time to do that but I love the daintiness of pieced earrings. I also like to wear long necklaces that you have to loop in the middle. Mainly, because I have a lot of them! In biblical days, bracelets were common among both men and women. Some could slip over the wrist but others hinged open and were locked on the wrist with a pin.
You have heard the phrase; "What goes around, comes around"? Our culture, style or whatever you wish to call it, is pretty much what it was in the days that Christ walked this earth. I often wonder if he was appalled at their jewelry and their clothing as he was at their lifestyles. All of these things affect us. It is part of our culture, that I am not particularly fond of. However, It behooves us to look past the wrapping and look inside, in order to reach the person that Christ went to the cross for. We are not to judge the world because as Christians our walk with the Lord has already judged them. We are to control our tongue and use salt to season when it is necessary. We can’t reach the world if we are too critical, but in all things we are to use love. Jane Ann