“What is the meaning of clothes?”
This was a discussion question in a workshop on the post-modern mindset I attended several years ago.
“Clothes are a covering,” was the first response.
Turns out, that was the typical answer. But it did not really answer the question the presenters were asking. “Covering” gives the function of clothes. It doesn’t explain their meaning. The question they were raising was, “What does the existence of clothing mean?”
To get to their point, they offered up another question – “What is the meaning of food?”
Now that we had wised up a little, the answers came slower. I honestly don’t remember any specific answers given, but I do recall that everyone knew better than to say “nourishment.”
The presenters went on to explain that the meaning of food, that is, the meaning of the fact that we must eat is that we are dependent beings. The fact that we must eat several times a day means that we need to be reminded frequently.
With this example to help us understand the nature of the question, we returned to the meaning of clothing.
If you had been in that workshop, what would you have said? What do clothes mean?
The right answer is found in the early part of The Story. After God created Eve and brought her to Adam, we find the two of them naked and not ashamed (Genesis 2:25). Unfortunately, this doesn’t last. In the very next breath, we see them decide to pursue life independently of God and disobey Him. In that moment, their eyes are opened, they know they are naked, and they invent the first garments (Genesis 3:7). No longer are they comfortable with their nakedness. Now they are ashamed. That is the meaning of clothes. Clothes mean that we are shameful beings.
So, our two most basic needs – the need for food and the need for clothing – are filled with meaning. They reveal basic truths about who we are. We are dependent, and we are shameful.
But while both truths are both basic, only our dependence is foundational. Our shame was not a part of our original design. We were created shameless. The shame came a little later.
And looking forward, for those of us who have been reconciled to God, there is now no condemnation (Romans 8:1). We can look forward to standing in God’s very presence unashamed (e.g., Jude 24).
By contrast, there was never a time when we were independent. We were created as dependent beings. And there will never be a time when we will become independent. Our dependence is essential to who we are.
Curiously, of the two, we tend to be exceedingly aware of our shame, while the recognition of the depth of our dependence tends to elude us.
In fact, it was the failure to grasp this dependence that brought the shame. Had we understood, we would have never tried to be like God. But, somehow, in the midst of God’s abundant provision we decided that we could get along just fine on our own. Forget that He put us in the middle of a garden with every tree that is pleasing to the sight and good for food (Genesis 2:9) and invited us to eat freely (2:16). Never mind that He intended for us to share this bliss with a hand-crafted, perfectly-matched companion. Somehow, we thought we could do better if we went independent.
Now, it’s tempting to look back at Adam and Eve’s decision, and wonder what they were thinking. But that is short-sighted. Because in episode after episode of The Story, the delusion continues. Over and over, in generation after generation, God’s persistent message is a call to repent of this illusion of independence.
In our recent discussion of suffering, we found that the key to suffering well is to entrust the situation to God, depending upon Him for deliverance, protection and reward. But, it is evident that the scope of our dependence is not limited to experiences of suffering. We could say that dependence is one of the critical facets of our pursuit of God’s will and His pleasure.
And, so, we will take the next few weeks to explore the message of our dependence.
Where are you most aware of your dependence on God?
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