No, it isn’t a silly title; there’s truly some musing going on in this article. Usually, throughout the week, I wear a very casual shirt, and if at home, a T-shirt. When at the building, studying, or visiting, I try to wear a shirt that doesn’t stretch out the buttonholes, or otherwise appear “sloppy.” It seems appropriate to be appropriately attired, especially if the unexpected happens. Today, however, required a white shirt as I intend to pay my respects to a dear friend who has passed.
In my family, white shirts for men have always been the prescribed attire when great dignity, respect, and reverence are expected. My Mother dubbed white shirts, ties, and either a sports jacket or suit the “required uniform” for preachers. (It was several years before dress shirts with color were acceptable in her eyes!) Perhaps it was the training in my youth, but white shirts still have that distinction with me!
There is a benefit to white shirts: every tie matches it, every sports jacket goes well with it, and it is always appropriate attire! But there is a downside as well: coffee stains are easily noticed, as are the ink spots from leaking pens! Therefore, when wearing white shirts, one must be more careful about various habits and whereabouts.
I muse on the similarity between white shirts and our spiritual attire. (Examine Revelation 3: 4- 5; 7:9 for example). Did you notice that such attire for the Christian cannot be taken off unless we discard our righteousness? For that very reason, the brightness of these white robes requires our incredibly careful attention against all stains and ruination of their purity! That’s quite a task, and to say we can accomplish it without fail is a lie! (1 John 1: 5 – 10) Yet, via that same text, we find a powerful cleansing agent: the blood of Jesus Christ! We need to wear Him with the reverence, respect, honor, and dignity due to Him (Galatians 3:27; Romans 13:14). Yes, I muse about white shirts, and even more the white robe that my Lord Jesus gave me when I obeyed the gospel, and His graciousness in keeping it clean when I confess my errors!