What Should Women Wear?

                                                              Godly Clothing for Sale

Of all the topics I have covered thus far, the topic of women's attire is the most incendiary.  The topic of appropriate female attire has been humanity's obsession from the beginning.  I never was comfortable being the object of such intense scrutiny.  I think my happiest times were when I didn't care a lick about what I wore.  Running and playing were the center of my life but rules were already being whispered in my ear by then.  "Blue is in this winter".  "That shoe doesn't match your dress."  But that wasn't the worst of it, "those jeans are so last year" or "that looks terrible on you." "You'll never get a boyfriend if you don't wear more make-up or wear a shorter skirt."

It seemed, as I entered adolescence, everyone got more interested in my clothing than I was.  I resented all the rules of so-called fashion which seemed impossible to follow and resulted in the objectification of women.  Coming of age as a woman any where in the world means coming to terms with these issues.  What a rude awakening it is!  Think of some of the school girls in German towns, such as Pocking or Giessen, who are being told to change their style of dress, because your clothing could cause a Muslim refugee to go berserk. It seems that women's attire has always been a battleground.  But is it fair?  Don't men have any control and responsibility?

I dreaded dealing with this topic because every time I just mention a hemline or a neckline these days, people are ready to accuse me of being a member of the Taliban. Perhaps the most frustrating part for me is that people will then equate my Christianity with what ISIS is trying to do.  I am here to tell you that just because one group believes in dressing modestly and another group does too, does not make them the same group.  I know an atheist father who does not approve of his daughter's attire but he and I have world views which are diametrically opposed.  It is possible to reach a similar decision for different reasons, as is the case here.

As it happens, when one chooses to become a Christian the bible describes the process as putting on new clothes and as clothing ourselves in Christ.  Here are a few biblical passages in that vein: "Clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ."-Roman 13:14 and "put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness."-Ephesians 4:24.  Choosing to accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior entails changing long held habits and lifestyles.  All of these changes, which God directs and helps us to make in our life, ultimately result in our happiness.  It often, as in the case of changing the way we dress, is a visible sign to those around us of our real commitment to our faith in God.  Changing the way we dress for some of us may be part of our Christian journey.  We may begin to regard ourselves in a new way.  A way which is deeper and more meaningful than how many heads that we can turn when we enter a room.  1 Peter 3:3-"Whose adorning let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting
the hair, and of wearing of gold, and of putting on of apparel".  We choose to go in new directions which deepen the meaning of our life not on the outside but on the inside.

Deliver Us From Temptation : 3 Tips for Resisting The Pull of Worldly Sexuality""

"Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation.  The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak."-Matthew 20:41

                                                     Edelweiss in front of the Marriott


My husband and I checked into the Marriott Hotel in Zurich, Switzerland but this story also happens where you live.  This hotel has many amenities.  It is situated on the Limmat River.  In times past, all the great hotels of Zurich were usually located on Lake Zurich or on the Limmat.  Strolling from the main entrance and turning to the right, you can eat at a charming restaurant and go swimming.  A short walk to your left and you can head to the bohemian Niederdorf district, the Swiss National Museum or shop on the wonderful Bahnhofstrasse.  Also, in close proximity to the hotel is a peep show.  If you intend to walk to some of the aforementioned places you will more than likely walk past several large images which advertise the content of this business in rather graphic character.

"Be self-controlled and alert.  Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.  Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings."-1Peter5:8-9

Sex Shop in Zurich

                                         

I am sure that it is a strategic and wise business decision to be located so close to a hotel.  After all, they could then tap into the constant market of lonely business men passing through the city!  Satan, as the above bible verses remind us, is also always looking for an opportune moment to attack us.  While my husband was at work, and I went about my daily activities, I saw women entering the peep show lobby.  I assumed they worked there.  I wondered what had happened in their lives to make this okay?  I saw two thirty year old men who made it far too easy to pinpoint their destination a block or two away from the hotel.  One man needed a shave very badly.  The other was taking swigs from a bottle in a bag that I am guessing was an alcoholic beverage.  I saw a well-dressed senior citizen enter one day.  One man that I did not expect to enter the establishment was a twenty year old man with two canes. While disembarking from a nearby tram, his cane dropped and I offered my arm to him to assist him until he could get his cane back in his hand.  He struggled mightily to transport himself.  Every step seemed difficult and I wondered if a wheelchair might better meet his needs.  Somehow his labored steps feverishly increased within close proximity to this den of iniquity, just like metal to a magnet.

"Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things."-Philippians 4:8

The block where I saw a lot of activity 

                                           
What is it that brings women to work here or men to gratify themselves here?  Is it loneliness?  Do they no longer have a moral compass telling them to head in another direction?  Are they enslaved by drug or alcohol dependence, and is this just one more addiction?  I posed this question to a women that I had met in Zurich.  She told me that she personally knows of two marriages affected by the problem of pornography. It helped me to understand that this is not just an intellectual debate.  Christians must take stock of the situation.  We can and must resolve to help individuals and families deal with their sexual problems.

"But blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in Him.  He will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out it's roots by the stream.  It does not fear when heat comes; it's leaves are always green.  It has not worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit."-Jeremiah 17:7-8

Jerusalem Forest in Israel

Modern life offers us temptation on demand better than any society before it.  Instant gratification for you, you, you.  Just walking down the street from point A to point B may be like a battle zone for those  trying to live godly lives.  Immodest clothing and billboards, just to name a few of those battles. What about at home?  There is television, movies, and internet stories gently and subtly telling you to do the wrong thing.  Click on this, click on that, come on, it is so interesting!  As Matthew 26:41 (above) tells us, we must pray to resist temptation and understand that our flesh is weak.

TIP NUMBER 1: PRAY AND FORM A PLAN.  The bible verse above calls on us to pray to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  He alone is the source of our strength and wisdom.  Resisting temptation first and foremost will require that we cry out to the Lord with our struggles.  Tell him what your personal temptations are and confess any mistakes that you have made.  Be specific.  All that sin needs to flourish is darkness.  Trust in the Lord who is mighty to save.  Next, draw up a battle plan.  If you struggle with the immodesty of some summer clothing resolve to avert your eyes whenever possible and have a bible verse memorized to think of instead, such as the Philippians 4:8 verse.  Write it down on your phone or an index card and pull it out of your pocket daily if necessary.  Whatever it takes.  Then begin to actually think some noble thoughts.  Think of a babbling brook, a kitten, or Jesus' mercy.  A "replacement thought" can go a long way to get us past that momentary thought or sight that comes our way.  The new honorable thought might even get you moving in a positive new direction.  Maybe you will remember to plan that hike to the brook, perhaps you will remember that you have a pile or extra blankets in the closet that could be donated to the local animal shelter or maybe if you take a moment you may realize it would hurt your wife to know that you are checking out other women.

TIP NUMBER 2 : FIND GODLY ACCOUNTABILITY.  Proverbs 27:17-"Iron sharpens iron; so one  man sharpens another." We need good and wise friendships.  Sometimes our family and friendships are the biggest temptations that we have.  Does Uncle Mike always have a dirty joke to tell at Thanksgiving?  Do your co-workers conversations challenge you when you go out to lunch with them?  It is time to have some victory in those situations and stand up for what is right.  Maybe you should stop Uncle Mike before he tells that joke.  Let him know that you love him but you don't like that type of humor.  Tell your co-workers that you are leaving lunch early so that you can have a 10 minute prayer time to better prepare yourself for the afternoon schedule.  If you know trouble starts after the third drink, why not leave after the first drink?  All of these actions will help you stay on course but also show others alternatives to their behavior as well.
Do make time for godly interactions in your life.  Time spent at weekday Church events can go a long way toward putting things in perspective.  My husband and I have a weekly lunch with a friend from Church.  It helps to start our week going on the right track.  Take a moment during the week to make a telephone call or keep in touch by email with a Christian friend.  Read my column every Wednesday during a coffee break.  If you need a bit more ask your Pastor to find an accountability partner.  Someone who will check-in with you on a regular basis and hold you accountable for your actions.

TIP NUMBER THREE : LEARN THE WORD OF GOD.  Prayer and distraction only take you so far.  The next step is understanding the creators plan for sexuality and for your life.  The reason those men are going into sex clubs or those women think it is okay to work there is because they do not understand the covenant or fully committed love that God intended for us to have in our lives with Him and with one another.  As we begin to read what the bible says about love, we can have a catharsis in our lives.  Sometimes we learned bad relationship skills at home or in our community.  Perhaps we had a traumatic event in our lives which blew us way off the course of true love and happiness.  Were you betrayed and now lost hope that there is even the possibility of "real love?"
Believe me when I tell you that all this can be healed by God's Almighty hand and you can begin to chart a course of real happiness instead of counterfeit pleasures.

May God direct you and bless you this week in whatever struggles that you may have.

NEXT WEEK  : WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO DRESS MODESTLY?




                                         

Report from the Jerusalem Post Conference 2016 - Part 2

                                                      6th Century Barcelona Synagogue
Introduction : My day at the Jerusalem Post Conference did indeed live up to my expectations and more.  More because of the emotional connection that I felt at the end of the day to the Jewish people and their plight.  A bond formed through education and friendship.  That education for me began by first exploring what the Word of God teaches regarding that connection.  In Romans 11, verses 1-27 the Apostle Paul describes this relationship.  Beginning in verse 16 he likens it to a wild olive branch grafted on to a cultivated olive tree.

When I was in high school, I developed an interest in the grafting of rose bushes.  I had seen my mother use this technique on our apple tree.  In the grafting process, one creates a situation where the tissues of one plant are fused with the tissue of another.  You choose one plant, or in this example from Romans 11, an olive tree with healthy roots (Judaism) and the other a wild olive branch with great olives (Christianity). It becomes one plant and there is an improvement.  The Jewish people are our stock plant.  Without those Jewish roots, there would be no nutrients flowing to nourish the grafted branch, hence the plant would die.  We as the grafted branch should give a great show of godly fruit.  Christians, does it make sense to hurt the root which nourishes our tree?  God's plan involves creating the new tree, one body, thereby fulfilling his broader plan of salvation and completion.  God has not and will not abandon the Jewish people and neither should we.  Ezekiel 39:25 " Now I will restore the fortune of Jacob and have mercy on the whole house of Israel, and I will be jealous for My holy name."

Conference Issues :
1. Jewish Identity :The conference was concerned with the practical and the ethical issues of what it meant to be a Jew.  One panel was convened to ferret out some of these issues.  This involves differences of opinions among orthodox and non-orthodox philosophies.  Special Guest, Actor Michael Douglas, discussed this issue as it related to his personal story.  Charming and looking well at 77 years old, Michael Douglas told the story of Jewish assimilation in his family.  His own father, actor Kirk Douglas was the son of two Orthodox Jews from the former Soviet Union.  Kirk married Michael's mother, Diana Dill, native of Bermuda and a non-Jew which traditionally would mean Michael was not Jewish.  Throughout his life, many people in the Jewish community affirmed this to him and he felt cut off from Judaism.
Things changed for him when two members of his family had a spiritual awakening.  Kirk Douglas was involved in a deadly helicopter crash at the age of 72.  Events like this can often lead one to question the meaning of life and for Kirk that meant studying with a Rabbi and rekindling the flame of Judaim in his life.  He is 99 years old now.  Other things were happening in Michael's life including his son developing an interest in Judaism.  He wanted a Bar Mitzvah!  Michael has changed the course of his life and is passionate about advocating for inclusion of those not previously defined as Jewish.  This would create a place for many American Jews who are frequently in families such as his.  That is the reason he was the receipient of the 2015 Genesis Prize.  The prize highlights individuals whom have excelled in their professional goals and given back to the Jewish community.

Oldest Synagogue in Zurich

2. B.D.S. : B.D.S. stands for Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions.  It is a global campaign which is attempting to inflict economic damage upon the state of Israel.  It  was begun by the Palestinians in 2005.  Since that time, the United Nations has joined their ranks as have some unions, colleges, and entertainers, all by deciding to boycott Israel and refusing to do business there.  There were estimates
stating that Israel was losing $1.4 billion per year, but a Bloomberg report just disputed that.  It states
that foreign investment in Israeli assets since 2005 have tripled and that the Israeli economy is expected to grow by 2.8% in 2016, whereas the United States and Europe will probably grow less
than 2% each.

During the turbulent 1920's in Germany, a campaign was launched to boycott Jewish business.  That movement was also taken to the university campuses, just like B.D.S.  Seventy-six per cent of the national German student unions voted to exclude Jews from their ranks.  This included Jewish converts to Christianity.  In 1933, when the Nazis rose to power, the stealing, looting and killing began.  Their slogans have a lot in common with B.D.S. " Kauft nicht bei Juden" was the graffiti posted upon the broken store windows.  Translated that means, "Do not buy from Jews."  Think it couldn't happen again?  Well think again.  B.D.S. is seeking to destroy the Jews.  And what about what is happening at college campuses?  The harassment of Jewish and Christian students across this world has been growing.

The week of this conference, a Jewish student named Eliana Kopley was forced to call the police after a group of thugs chased her at the University of California-Irvine campus.   As she was attempting to enter a building where an Israeli documentary would be screened, an angry
mob of modern day storm troopers banged on windows and doors and physically stopped her from
entering the building.  They chased her and yelled, "F**k Israel" and "Long live the Intifada!" During  
Holocaust Remembeance Day and throughout that week at U.C. Irvine there had been many anti-Israeli events.  Is it any wonder it culminated in this criminal hate crime against this young girl?  Why does a shiksa* like me even care?  I care because we must all embrace our moment in history.  We have an opportunity to do the right thing.  To do that, we must learn from history, understand more about God's will and look for ways in our life to be part of it.  Do you have older children in school?  Please open a dialogue with them about this incident.  Encourage them not to go along with those who would bully Jewish students.  If a favorite entertainer chooses not to go to Israel on tour, let them know that you disagree.  Let colleges know that you will not be contributing to their
fundraising efforts when they allow anti-Israeli campaigns to permeate campus life.  Keep up with current events in Israel because it is the city that God calls his own!

Next Week : The Scourge of Pornography : Christian Tips for overcoming

* Shiksa: derogatory but often affectionate Yiddish term for a non-Jewish girl or woman.