News from Around the World

IT surprises me sometimes. . . where IT shows up. IT being the wounds and scars of an appalachian raising steeped in the legalism of fundamental faith. IT showed up this week on Tuesday night at my daughters volleyball game. Her team traveled to face off against a Christian school on the other side of the belt. Well they had played this team on our home court earlier in the season. Alledgedly the school called our school to say they were offended by our girls uniforms (classic volleyball athletic spandex uniform shorts) and that If they were to play them again then the girls would have to wear the big loose baggy shorts near their knee. I hadnt been told this but the tension started as I pulled onto the "campus" of the church sponsored school. SEveral beautiful colonial style buildings, A HUGE sanctuary, a lake for baptism complete with (drumroll please) their very own STATUE OF LIBERTY! Yes! I would guess a 1/500th scale replica of the symbol of freedom herself. . . .right there by the baptism lake. I entered the gym and recognized the sweeping skirts, plain women, decked out men immediately. When I saw that our girls were told to not wear their own uniforms I was so frustrated and so surprised at my own frustration. Now I can blurt out the modest speech with the best of all youth pastors. Those who have had any connection with my leadership through the years could probably quote the colorful speech right back at ya! But it births out of internal holiness, and of wanting girls to be free of legalistic limitations and sexual expectations that cause them to be trapped by the expectations of society> I want girls to be free from the LIES of fashion and media. But i also know these are teaching opportunities to instill the importance of holiness and heart. . . . . everything else is just icing. And thus why I struggle so with the legalistic control of sports uniforms (which are far from immodest) in the presence of a culture that oppresses women, obviously does not confront obesity and gluttony, displayed horrid sportsmanship in the game, etc etc. My daughter gets frustated I think of my cries of injustice. She rolls her eyes as every other 13 yr old girl and is certain that this is "no big deal". But it is! It has to be. I hope that she might see how I want so much for her. How I know for certain her heart cannot be hidden by long shorts. How wrong it is for others to insist you play by their close minded rules and in so doing the sin of their judgement is greater than the implied sin of your uniform. How wrong it is that she was so easily and wrongly judged. I want her to see How a statue of liberty by a baptism pool by a big fancy church that calls the shots - spits in the face of a savior, makes light of the gospel, and mocks the name of the one in which they baptize. For the sacrament of baptism did not come with a rule book. I want her to know that her true identity is present in the waters of that baptism poured on her heart. And that her identity as a daughter of God is NOT dependent on the length of her shorts.