Sharper Image

Image is everything right? Well, I don't think so. Things just are not always as they first appear. Here is what happen to me...So remember my previous blog when I talked about being in the doctor's office with my wife, well this happened the same day at the doctor's office. The doctor was throughly impressed with my inquisitiveness and asked me what I did...he was inquiring about my occupation. Well, I told him I was a preacher. He was a little shocked, but not because of my inquisitiveness, he actually said that explains my inquisitiveness (that is good I guess), but what shocked him was my appearence. I had longer hair, not like a girl long but long, and a beard. He asked me what denomination and I said Baptist. The next question was what type of Baptist. I could tell by that question that he had been mildly schooled in religion, particualry that of the Christian one. I responded by telling him I was a Southern Baptist. The next question to leave his mouth was, "They let you have long hair and a beard!?" I laughed a little and responded, "they do for now." I guess that the reason he was so surprised is because based on my appearance, I do not fit the mold of what a Southern Baptist preacher should look like. As I pondered most of the Southern Baptist preachers I know, I supposed he was right. I don't look like the sterotypical Southern Baptist preacher. Most of them do not have long hair...probably more like no hair...and I must admit I am headed that direction myself, no hair that is (praise the Lord for male-pattern baldness). There was also probably a time not to long ago when any Southern Baptist male having long hair was just taboo. The beard...well what's the beef with that? I guess a preacher should be clean shaved and clean cut with a nice pressed suit made to fit, a much "sharper image" I suppose is what I am to possess as a Southern Baptist preacher. Maybe I should get a hair cut and shave my beard. Maybe I should rush out to Sears and by me a good looking cost effective suit. Or maybe I will be one of those who seeks to escape the stereotype instead of one that embraces it. Maybe I can be a part of another generation of Southern Baptist preachers who breaks the image of what a preacher looks like and sounds like, or maybe I can just be myself...a guy who happens to be a man called to reach the world with the gospel of Christ, who happens to be Southern Baptist, and who just so happens to look like me.