So yesterday we covered female modesty and today I’m going to take a look at three related topic in one.
Male Modesty
Modesty isn’t just for women, it’s men too. Male modesty should mean, basically be dressed and clean cut in public. Granted everything I say here is a matter of personal conscience about which I am giving the opinions and conclusions I have reached, but I don’t see a modest guy as somebody who goes around with a Mohawk bigger than their head with piercings all over the place or who looks like he stole his sister’s/girlfriend’s skinny jeans, or who constantly wanders around topless.
Respect Where You Are
The second point I’d like to go into is that, call me crazy but I really think that for those of us who are people of faith I think we need to raise the bar just a little bit when in comes to modest apparel in a house of worship.
Using myself as an example, on any old day, yeah sure you might see me in jeans and either a Chicago Bears Jersey with a long or three-quarter sleeved shirt underneath it or a hoodie of some sort. But when I’m going to liturgy, no way; those aren’t Sunday outfits, then it’s dress slacks and a blouse and/or sweater or leggings and a knee-length dress.
For guys I’d say go with slacks and a button-down shirt, lose the cargo shorts and anything with huge, obvious company labels on it.
Not just about clothes
Getting a way from all this clothes talk a little bit, modesty isn’t just about what a person wears, it’s also how they act. That doesn’t mean being a doormat. It means don’t be arrogant or obnoxious in public, don’t treat anyone like they’re “beneath you” and show the respect your current situation entails. Have a servant’s heart, that could be as simple as holding the door open for someone else, or offering to help when you see someone trying to carry something heavy, or comforting someone you even remotely know when you see that they’re upset.
“Whosoever is first among you let him be your servant.” – The Gospel According to St. Matthew 20:27
I'd also toss in a condemnation of sagging.
ReplyDeleteThe style is even worse when you find out the origin.
According to G. Gordon Liddy who spent almost 8 years in prison for Watergate and latter became a radio talk show host sagging was started by homosexual convicts who used it as a sign to show they were available.