The Sunday Sermonette – Costumes and a Flax Shirt.
What would my 50th Theatrical Anniversary be without some discussion concerning costumes? From evening tails to afternoon formal wear, from tattered Victorian dressing gowns to dapper 1930s golfing attire, and from long, flowing night shirts to just BVDs, I’ve worn a myriad of character costumes. One in particular stands out.
In the winter of 1983, I was cast as Og in the Gulf Coast Opera’s production of “Finian’s Rainbow.” Og, a leprechaun, is desperate to recover his lost gold before its loss turns him permanently into a human. The audience roared with laughter as I danced and pranced across the Saenger Theater’s stage. Little did they know that I was in abject misery.
I wrote this in my Theater Scrapbook: “The green makeup is suffocating, the eye glitter hovers just outside my eyelids, and my leprechaun costume itches to high heaven.” It was, however, a showstopper. Made with wool and polyester cloth, the first time I put it on during production week, I knew I was in trouble. There was no time to make another costume, so I scratched, grinned, and suffered.
Months later, my former pastor, Dr. Dean Register, preached a sermon about supporting others in times of suffering. He stated that it’s an essential characteristic of Christian living, deeply rooted in biblical teachings. To illustrate his point, he used a story by Booker T. Washington concerning his days as a slave in Franklin County, Virginia.
“The most trying ordeal that I was forced to endure as a slave boy was the wearing of a flax shirt… It is almost equal to the feeling that one would experience if he had a dozen or more chestnut burrs, or a hundred small pinpoints, in contact with his flesh…”
“In connection with the flax shirt, my brother John, who is several years older than I am, performed one of the most generous acts that I ever heard of one slave relative doing for another. On several occasions when I was being forced to wear a new flax shirt, he generously agreed to put it on in my stead and wear it for several days, till it was ‘broken in.'”
Isn’t this what Christians are called to do? To help those bear the burden of wearing a “flax shirt?” We’re called to walk alongside those struggling due to the death of a loved one or a terminal illness. To hold up those beset by vicious gossip, financial failures, fears for tomorrow, and a myriad of other “flax shirts” that sap the strength needed to face the day.
As believers, we are encouraged to share in suffering together. This fosters a spirit of unity and compassion. There’s comfort in knowing that we are not alone while facing difficulties. Sharing each other’s suffering leads to greater empathy for those who do suffer.
Christians have no greater example of suffering than Jesus on the cross. What kept him there in agony? Rest assured, it wasn’t the nails. It was love! He suffered for the unlovable, the hated, the maligned, the hurting, and those stained by sin. It was a love so unbelievable that it kept Him on the cross until He proclaimed, “It is finished.” But it wasn’t. It was the beginning of eternity for Him and those who believe.
Throughout Jesus’ suffering on the cross, He was not alone. Family and friends “mourned and wailed for Him.” When we suffer, we are also not alone. Friends and family are there to help and to love. Jesus is, too. Call on Him in times of darkness and distress.
Ponder this and go forth.