T-Shirts (What We Should Be Known For)
words and music by derek webb
they'll know us by the t-shirts that we wear
they'll know us by the way we point and stare
at anyone whose sin looks worse than ours
who cannot hide the scars of this curse that we all bare
they’ll know us by our picket lines and signs
they’ll know us by the pride we hide behind
like anyone on earth is living right
and isn’t that why Jesus died
not to make us think we’re right
chorus
when love, love, love
is what we should be known for
love, love, love
it’s the how and it’s the why
we live and breathe and we die
they’ll know us by reasons we divide
and how we can’t seem to unify
because we’ve gotta sing songs a certain style
or we’ll walk right down that aisle
and just leave ‘em all behind
they’ll know us by the billboards that we make
just turning God’s words to cheap clichés
says “what part of murder don’t you understand?”
but we hate our fellow man
and point a finger at his grave
chorus
they'll know us by the t-shirts that we wear
they'll know us by the way we point and stare
telling ‘em their sins are worse than ours
thinking we can hide our scars
beneath these t-shirts that we wear
Why do I accept a t-shirt Christianity? Why am I not angered that we, as good 'ol American Christians, try to reduce Jesus to a few clichéd sayings, even when we know that it takes something deeper to change lives? (FYI: I've got nothing against Christian t-shirts in the literal sense, for those reading this messy blog entry)
Do I accept these things because I do not believe that my Lord and Savior is worth the effort? Is it because I am so self-absorbed that I can't take time to do something about my own surface faith, much less that of the American Church as a whole? This is a hard thought to entertain, but it's harder to accept that I've accepted it. But I love God! I get emotional (on the inside at least) when the "words I need to hear" are spoken. I can even sense the love of God in others. And while I'm boasting, I genuinely desire to treat other humans with respect, and I believe I have done this fairly consistently.
In the end, though, do I believe that God is truly the Beginning and the End? If God is all that is real, why consume myself with everything that is false and fading? I love my friends, my earthly family, my former classmates, my coworkers, my church family. But they will all be gone soon. So will I. My life as I know it will end incredibly soon.
But if God is who we say he is, who we know he is, then why are we wasting time pretending that this world is what it's all about?
God, how I know that nothing in this world is worth sacrificing an intense longing for Jesus. If I need to move to the Arctic to immediately enter into a life of praise, I should do that without pausing for thought. If I need to praise God on my face with friends around looking confused and embarrassed for me, I should have no reservations. If I only need to sit and stare at the wall and think about how mercilessly I have betrayed my creator, then that is what I must do. If I enter into praise in complete stillness and silence, even then I shouldn't worry if I am being Christian enough. Forget what the voices say, especially with my own often being the one straight from Hell. There is only one voice I need.
As a true (false?) Christian Hypocrite, even as I write these words, I know that I will have abandoned this thought by morning. What feels like a personal revelation now will soon feel like more words I wrote just to see if anyone is listening. Maybe someone will remind me of the words I wrote when I put on my t-shirt.
