We can safely say that the Christians we saw as children are a dying breed. Remember the days of the ankle length satin dresses, white stockings, hats and three-inch heels? Well these have pretty much been replaced by Gucci and Guess labels; satin is no longer the material of choice as linen and even lace are upfront and present at Sunday morning worship.
Indeed the modern sketch of a Christian at times causes a few raised eyebrows and wide eyes as in extreme cases the style of dress is not much different from that of those who have a secularlifestyle, as minis and even backless dresses are occasionally worn.
In today’s world “false hair”/wigs, eyelashes, acrylic nails, shaved eyebrows and even cosmetic surgery have found their way into the pews and even choir sections as some Christian are revelling in their newfound freedom and are unapologetic about it.
BuzzzMagazine examines the modern Christian who exists in a dynamic world and who occasionally encounter
criticism for adapting too much or too well. No longer soft-spoken and demure in their attire and known to frequent places not usually associated with holy matters, some critics are of the view that this modern set are not displaying traditional appropriate behaviour.In general, are we holding them to an unrealistic standard or have some gone too far in terms of how they look, socialise and live?
Christianity has evolved over the centuries and continues to change. Many religions and branches of Christianity have become extinct over time and in order to survive, this religion merged with the social and cultural norms of the epochs: what is acceptable today was not practised hundreds of years ago. There is definitely no one cohesive voice in Christianity. The Pentecostals have always been one of the most conservative in dress as in past times no ardent believer would be seen without a bonnet or hat on her head and sleeveless dresses were taboo. On the other side of the spectrum – and ironically – some of older, more established and some say more laid back denominations such as the Methodist, Presbyterian, Anglican and the Roman Catholic, in particular, take less umbrage with attire as even jeans (denim) can be worn to Mass.
While attire has changed significantly over the years, the Church is denying that there have been changes to its core beliefs. Reverend Dr. Carla Dunbar who leads her own flock of over 300 members at the Church of God of Prophecy in St. Andrew, said that she is never one to pass judgment or criticism on anyone but in her view, everything should be done in moderation. “Our dress should be done in a way that God is not dishonoured and we do not become a stumbling block to others. Our outward appearance is not what God looks at but we should always be mindful of the message we send to others,” she elaborated.
Reverend Dunbar – a Christian for over twenty years – says that at times what is considered acceptable ‘Christian attire’ is unclear, but it is really what is inside the self that is important. “I wear false hair, my nails are colourful and my attire is frowned upon by some persons but I believe God has given me the free will to make conscious and informed decisions of what he requires of me.” She continued, “While I would not walk naked or half naked I do not see anything wrong with dressing up and feeling good about yourself. I feel that those nails and enhance my look but I would never look down on someone who goes all natural. It doesn’t make them any more or less of a Christian.”
There are Christian women in church today who do a number of medical procedures to enhance their body or they sport tongue rings and tattoos. For Reverend Dunbar going “too far” is a matter of each person’s perspective and belief. “I don’t think there is a level of restriction in the scripture. I haven’t seen it. I don’t think God is against it because he gave these doctors the knowledge to do the procedures. But, anything done in excess without wise counsel can lead us to make uninformed choices.”
Christianity, she further added, has indeed changed in relation to how we view certain things but standards have not dropped. “We are living in changing times and if we look back at how Jesus’ time was, no one is dressing like that today, not even in the places where Jesus frequented such as Jerusalem and Palestine. Alot of people take pieces of the Bible and use them out of context as they say you must not add on or take off and that we women must not wear men’s garments but back then they didn’t wear pants at all.”
She agrees that being a Christian in today’s society is definitely more challenging. “What you have now is a paradigm shift with issues and challenges that Christians before did not have to deal with. Sexuality was always an issue but now it is more pervasive, exposed and ‘out there’ but the sustenance of a Christian life is not up to us alone – with the help of the Holy Spirit we can still conduct ourselves in a way pleasing to God.”
Reverend Dunbar shared that she has always liked being trendy, dating back to before she became a believer. “I was a Dancehall queen before I became a Christian. In fact I was the first ever Dancehall queen crowned. God has changed my heart but not my personality.
I believe if I am presenting myself before God I must look my best but I am cognizant that it is not my outward appearance that is important but my heart. I don’t worship the things I wear. I just use them as an enhancement.”
“There are times I have to correct the attire of some young people in my church, I also know that people have to wear what they have or what they can afford. I am in the business of bringing people to God so I don’t try to scale the fish before I catch it: I catch it first.”
But some fish caught bring their fair share of challenges to the Church itself with new practices seen as blatant ‘bastardization’ and a general lack of respect for Christian rituals and the
very house of God itself.
In recent years the very same clothing worn in the Dancehall would be worn to church – spandex, sequins, and sheer couture would be seen at ‘ghetto-fabulous’ funerals. In Kingston, the new phenomenon of hearses being replaced for the most part by pick-up trucks with sound systems and glass boxes means that funerals have became parties inside some churches.
Sometimes alcohol is consumed during such services and songs by Dancehall artiste Kartel are sung to ‘send off’ the deceased in style. Today’s Christian looks a lot like Olympian Shelly Ann Fraser -Pryce, known for her stylish weaves, or gospel artiste Prodigal, known for his sharp suits or Omari and DJ Nicholas who are always ‘on trend’ in their style.
For them, serving Christ does not strip you of your distinct identity or style. If anything Christianity means you dress even more up to please Him. The Bible tells us not to judge “lest we be judged” – if nothing else, that is a pretty good philosophy for the world to live by.
Share this post:
We can safely say that the Christians we saw as children are a dying breed. Remember the days of the ankle length satin dresses, white stockings, hats and three-inch heels? Well these have pretty much been replaced by Gucci and Guess labels; satin is no longer the material of choice as linen and even lace are upfront and present at Sunday morning worship.
Indeed the modern sketch of a Christian at times causes a few raised eyebrows and wide eyes as in extreme cases the style of dress is not much different from that of those who have a secularlifestyle, as minis and even backless dresses are occasionally worn.
In today’s world “false hair”/wigs, eyelashes, acrylic nails, shaved eyebrows and even cosmetic surgery have found their way into the pews and even choir sections as some Christian are revelling in their newfound freedom and are unapologetic about it.
BuzzzMagazine examines the modern Christian who exists in a dynamic world and who occasionally encounter
criticism for adapting too much or too well. No longer soft-spoken and demure in their attire and known to frequent places not usually associated with holy matters, some critics are of the view that this modern set are not displaying traditional appropriate behaviour.In general, are we holding them to an unrealistic standard or have some gone too far in terms of how they look, socialise and live?
Christianity has evolved over the centuries and continues to change. Many religions and branches of Christianity have become extinct over time and in order to survive, this religion merged with the social and cultural norms of the epochs: what is acceptable today was not practised hundreds of years ago. There is definitely no one cohesive voice in Christianity. The Pentecostals have always been one of the most conservative in dress as in past times no ardent believer would be seen without a bonnet or hat on her head and sleeveless dresses were taboo. On the other side of the spectrum – and ironically – some of older, more established and some say more laid back denominations such as the Methodist, Presbyterian, Anglican and the Roman Catholic, in particular, take less umbrage with attire as even jeans (denim) can be worn to Mass.
While attire has changed significantly over the years, the Church is denying that there have been changes to its core beliefs. Reverend Dr. Carla Dunbar who leads her own flock of over 300 members at the Church of God of Prophecy in St. Andrew, said that she is never one to pass judgment or criticism on anyone but in her view, everything should be done in moderation. “Our dress should be done in a way that God is not dishonoured and we do not become a stumbling block to others. Our outward appearance is not what God looks at but we should always be mindful of the message we send to others,” she elaborated.
Reverend Dunbar – a Christian for over twenty years – says that at times what is considered acceptable ‘Christian attire’ is unclear, but it is really what is inside the self that is important. “I wear false hair, my nails are colourful and my attire is frowned upon by some persons but I believe God has given me the free will to make conscious and informed decisions of what he requires of me.” She continued, “While I would not walk naked or half naked I do not see anything wrong with dressing up and feeling good about yourself. I feel that those nails and enhance my look but I would never look down on someone who goes all natural. It doesn’t make them any more or less of a Christian.”
There are Christian women in church today who do a number of medical procedures to enhance their body or they sport tongue rings and tattoos. For Reverend Dunbar going “too far” is a matter of each person’s perspective and belief. “I don’t think there is a level of restriction in the scripture. I haven’t seen it. I don’t think God is against it because he gave these doctors the knowledge to do the procedures. But, anything done in excess without wise counsel can lead us to make uninformed choices.”
Christianity, she further added, has indeed changed in relation to how we view certain things but standards have not dropped. “We are living in changing times and if we look back at how Jesus’ time was, no one is dressing like that today, not even in the places where Jesus frequented such as Jerusalem and Palestine. Alot of people take pieces of the Bible and use them out of context as they say you must not add on or take off and that we women must not wear men’s garments but back then they didn’t wear pants at all.”
She agrees that being a Christian in today’s society is definitely more challenging. “What you have now is a paradigm shift with issues and challenges that Christians before did not have to deal with. Sexuality was always an issue but now it is more pervasive, exposed and ‘out there’ but the sustenance of a Christian life is not up to us alone – with the help of the Holy Spirit we can still conduct ourselves in a way pleasing to God.”
Reverend Dunbar shared that she has always liked being trendy, dating back to before she became a believer. “I was a Dancehall queen before I became a Christian. In fact I was the first ever Dancehall queen crowned. God has changed my heart but not my personality.
I believe if I am presenting myself before God I must look my best but I am cognizant that it is not my outward appearance that is important but my heart. I don’t worship the things I wear. I just use them as an enhancement.”
“There are times I have to correct the attire of some young people in my church, I also know that people have to wear what they have or what they can afford. I am in the business of bringing people to God so I don’t try to scale the fish before I catch it: I catch it first.”
But some fish caught bring their fair share of challenges to the Church itself with new practices seen as blatant ‘bastardization’ and a general lack of respect for Christian rituals and the
very house of God itself.
In recent years the very same clothing worn in the Dancehall would be worn to church – spandex, sequins, and sheer couture would be seen at ‘ghetto-fabulous’ funerals. In Kingston, the new phenomenon of hearses being replaced for the most part by pick-up trucks with sound systems and glass boxes means that funerals have became parties inside some churches.
Sometimes alcohol is consumed during such services and songs by Dancehall artiste Kartel are sung to ‘send off’ the deceased in style. Today’s Christian looks a lot like Olympian Shelly Ann Fraser -Pryce, known for her stylish weaves, or gospel artiste Prodigal, known for his sharp suits or Omari and DJ Nicholas who are always ‘on trend’ in their style.
For them, serving Christ does not strip you of your distinct identity or style. If anything Christianity means you dress even more up to please Him. The Bible tells us not to judge “lest we be judged” – if nothing else, that is a pretty good philosophy for the world to live by.
Share this post: