Years ago I de-planed at Des Moines, Iowa, and one of the few things I recall about that trip was a middle-aged woman I saw waiting at the baggage claim area.  She was wearing a t-shirt that declared in large letters, “I’m With Stupid.”  She was standing by herself.

Somewhere along the timeline of our culture’s development and progress, a person figured out how to imprint images and messages on cotton-blend shirts.   Not much of this was happening yet when I was a kid.  Being a baseball-obsessed youngster, I would have been thrilled with what now is common-place:  a shirt with the logo of my favorite team emblazoned across the chest.  (In my case, it was the Washington Senators, who, of course no longer exist – such rare t-shirts now are the stuff of eBay) 

The best I could do was an iron-on patch that was the wrong color and wrong style of script, but at least it said, “Senators.”  I acquired it by taping a quarter to a piece of cardboard and mailing it in with the correct number of Bazooka bubble-gum comics.  (Did I mention that my dentist from those days and a couple of his friends joined together to purchase a private plane?)

When my sons were still around the house they had innumerable t-shirts with scary pictures somehow portraying their favorite bands and recording artists.  One I recall in particular showed a large, pallid face cut, sawn, or otherwise ripped in half from top to bottom, now held together by a row of large staples.   A treasure trove of similar shirts can be found at stores such as Hot Topic where, for the employees, it appears, every day is Halloween.

There is a reported trend, however, toward shirts bearing messages of “peace, love, and recycling.”  Fashionista Eunice Chang suggests, “It’s because of the war.  People need a message, and they want a positive message.”  Chang and others recently pushed their wares (wears?) at the Las Vegas trade show for clothing sellers, known as MAGIC.

Some of the current shirts compare to what was seen on the backs of hippies in the late 1960’s, but we are assured that today’s teen trendies aren’t imitating the Woodstock generation.  Market researcher Kathleen Gasperini explains, “They’re making it their own.  It’s a brighter version.  It’s not as drug-induced.”   (Oh wow…that’s cold, man.)

In my mind, this Sunday’s lectionary texts (Matthew 18:15-20; Romans 13:8-14; Psalm 149; and Exodus 12:1-14) lend themselves to the consideration of “taking on our identity” as people of faith.  Perhaps that involves “wearing” a “positive message,” that can bring hope and promise to people who are filled with doubts, fears, and anxieties.

Of course, this message really can’t be “screen printing-induced,” but rather is a brighter version emanating from the light of a heart committed and connected to Christ.