Now John [the Baptist] wore clothing of camel’s hair with a leather belt around his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey... But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming for his baptism, he said to them, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?...”
Don’t mistake John’s costume as communicating mere eccentricity. Sure, wearing nothing but a camel’s hair jerkin and a leather belt is weird, but John isn’t doing it to show his wildness, he’s cosplaying Elijah.
Back in 2 Kings 1, the prophet Elijah condemned the then King of Israel for ignoring God in favor of Ba’al. There, the King’s servants refer to him as “a hairy man with a leather belt around his waist”.
So, when John wants to bring Elijah’s story to mind, he dresses up just like him. It means the powerful people who come to John for baptism and receive his hostile response would have associated themselves with the doomed King Ahaziah.
Today, we often dress for effect. We do so to mimic others or recall another time or place.
We wear the colors and symbols of our nation’s flag to mean that we’re speaking as the country. We use our boss’s favorite phrases to get our co-workers to comply. We dress up as our own parents when interacting with our children.
We perform, and our clothing and wording signifies who we idolize. As you progress through your day, who are you trying to emulate? What's the effect that has on others and yourself?
-- Kate Davoli
Why ReFrame?
The idea comes from psychology. It means to take a fresh look at an old story. Our goal is for you to do something new with what you see.
That's the reason for the 'Imagine' button. We want to offer you the chance to make a statement about what you experience in a frame and how it might help shape your day.