Yet another school year is drawing to a close and with it comes graduation season. Over the next few weeks family, friends, teachers, and honored graduates will file into hot, stuffy gyms or out into the elements in athletic stadiums to celebrate the completion of various stages of academic journeys. Invariably, the graduates will be decked out in caps and gowns. In many instances, the staff and faculty will also attend in academic regalia. It is fitting that the song we relate to these grand events with such unusual and extravagant apparel is called Pomp and Circumstance. The phrase “pomp and circumstance” means “an ostentatious display of ceremonial grandeur.” Noteworthy accomplishments deserve to be recognized in equally noteworthy ways. But, it does beg the question: What’s with the costumes?
In modern society, academic regalia performs purely ceremonial purposes. The various components and colors play roles in indicating the school, level of education achieved, and area of focus. Initially, however, the various items also served practical purposes as well. As educational institutions were developing in thirteenth and fourteenth century Europe, there was no such thing as central heating. The robes and hoods were an important means of warmth for those in the classroom. Classrooms were often extremely drafty and space near the fireplace was limited. A thick robe in such instances would be a vital piece of personal equipment. The hood and cap were also important for personal warmth. In the earliest stages, most educators were clergy and often had shaved heads. A good hat or hood could go a long way in keeping the cold air at bay. Even the sleeves had a practical purpose. The sleeves of the robe could be used to store and carry books to and from classes in the absence of brief cases and backpacks. The advent of HVAC and a plethora of bags and brief cases have relegated academic dress to a purely formal status and rendered it all relatively useless in our modern age.
In many cases, faith has been reduced to a formality that is of limited practical value.
I wonder if, at times, we treat our faith somewhat like graduation garb. We take pride in the fact that we have it, but it is incredibly formal and, in many ways, outdated. We only wear it at certain times, in certain places, and for certain audiences. In truth, though, it serves little more than ceremonial purposes, allowing us to demonstrate how much we know and what great people we are. It is a vestige of a different time, and we fail to recognize the functional use for our day-to-day lives. So, for the most part, we hang it in the back of our closet or store it somewhere safe and out of the way. While this may be an overstatement in a great many cases, I would argue that it is true enough of the time that it is informing the perception of many in the emerging generations. In many cases, faith has been reduced to a formality that is of limited practical value.
To see either faith or graduation with such a narrow purview, however, is to miss the proverbial forest for the trees. The value of a graduation is not couched in the clothing worn, but in the education that it represents. The potential of a graduate is not realized during their few moments arrayed in their graduation garb. It is only realized after they remove the cap and gown, hang it in their closet, and head out into the world to apply all that they have learned. True academic achievement comes when what is learned in the classroom is practiced in real-life.
It is only when we allow the principles and timeless truths our faith contains to inform and influence our day-to-day living that its full potential will be realized.
The same principle applies to our faith. While there is immense value is our corporate gatherings, programs, and celebrations, the true value of our faith comes when we apply the principles of our faith, found in God’s Word, to our daily lives. Faith isn’t formal wear that we put on for special occasions then hide away in our closet until it’s useful again. Colossians 3:12-14 says, “Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience… And over all these virtues, put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.” True faith, then, is of immense practical value. It is only when we allow the principles and timeless truths our faith contains to inform and influence our day-to-day living that its full potential will be realized. Only then will the world around us see the worth of our faith. Otherwise, it’s little more than an outdated outfit that hides in the back of our closets.
