I always wear my Tigers’ hat on vacation. Sometimes I’ll also wear a Tigers’ T-shirt to complete the look. Recently when we were in Florida, it seemed every day a stranger would call out “go Tigers!” or “hey, Detroit!” I was nine years old when Sparky led the “Bless You Boys” to the 1984 World Series Championship, and I’ve been a diehard Tigers’ fan ever since.
The old English D represents a history of great ballplayers like Ty Cobb and Al Kaline who played hard and inspired generations of fans. When I see that cursive D on someone’s hat, I immediately know what we have in common: loyalty to a club and hope for a winning team in the days ahead.
Now, how will others know we are Christians? I’ve seen shirts that say, “Jesus,” and I remember wearing a What Would Jesus Do bracelet. We once had the outline of a fish (an ancient Christian symbol) on the back of our car. Braver souls get cross tattoos. I am not opposed to any of these logos, and you might start a gospel conservation wearing a Christian symbol.
Yet, Jesus gave His first followers clear instructions of how to represent Him to everybody they met. “By this everyone will know that you are My disciples,” He said, “if you love one another” (John 13:35). The emblem of Christ isn’t what you wear, but what you do. In fact, we don’t know much about what Jesus wore, but we read how He modeled love to the lost and to His disciples.
Love should be visible, not just in words, but in real acts of kindness and care. Ultimately, Jesus’ love was perfectly displayed on the cross. Want others to know you’re loyal to Christ? They’ll know you by your love.
