Covenanter Witness Vol. 86 - Rparchives.org

Glimpses oi the Religious WorldRev. L. E. Kilpatrick, D. D.207 Darlington RoadBeaver Falls, Pennsylvania 15010"HAIR"This subject may not warrant the time and space,but, on the other hand, the importance that some in ourgeneration attach to it, makes it a matter that has to beconsidered.Hair style for men, like neckties—wide, narrow, ornone, is a matter of personal preference. If a man wants towear his hair long, Afro or crew cut, that's up to him. (Hisparents' wishes, as long as he is in his minority, should behonored, of course.) If his hair style keeps him fromgetting a job, and he thinks his hair style is more importantthan the job, that's his privilege. But what we are witnessing,is those, who, when the job is denied on accountof the hair, complain of prejudice and discrimination, andlook for a shoulder to cry on. If one wants to be radical, adissenter, a non-contormist, he should be willing to paythe price as well as to enjoy the prestige, otherwise hisnon-conformity is a cheap product to start with, and eventhat, paid for by some one else.There are, then, some other factors besides personalpreference that enter the picture of male hair style. Somewith individualistic tastes, when their hair prevents themfrom getting a job, rather than cut their hair, will live offthe family, and when that wears out, they'll go on the bum,and complain bitterly about "unfairness." They say, "Hairdoesn't alter my ability to do the job." Perhaps the man'sopinion who pays the wages should also be considered onthat question. His reasons may be valid or they maynot, but they're his. One reason often given is that longhair is a symbol of the drug culture. Maybe that's truetoday, maybe not. Those who have held that opinion hadtheir evidence which they considered valid. Maybe it was.Mabye it wasn't. But not all such people can be written offas unreasonable.In defense of long hair some will say, "Jesus had longhair." (Maybe He did.) If so it is likely that long hair at thattime was commonplace. We see no evidence that Jesusflouted custom, unless He had a moral or religious reason.Now anyone who wants to wear his hair long is certainlyfree to do so, but a real moral question remains with somepeople: "Is it rightto adopt a custom that is considered bymany people in our society, to be a symbol of irresponsibleliving and drug indulgence?" Bill Pannell, said inanother connection, "How long are we Christians going tolet a secular society on its way to hell set our standards forus?" That "secular society" may be either the new trend orthe old custom.If one can satisfy himself that he is doing nothingwrong in keeping his hair long, and he is willing, withoutindulging in self pity, to bear whatever disapproval he mayencounter without whimpering, more power to him.It must be admitted that there seems to be a certainreal though devilish, delight to be attained, even byChristians, in doing something not wrong per se, but nonconforming,and getting reproved for it by the elder saints,if one is able to demonstrate his Christian faith andconduct, and so make the reprover ashamed. Maybe hairstyle falls into this category.The early Christians were radical in the basic senseof that word, but I've seen no evidence that they attainedthat reputation by artificial attention getting means. Nor isthere evidence that they complained of the prejudiceagainst them because they were of the sect of theNazarenes. Rather, they went about their business ofearning a living, testifying of the good news of JesusChrist; they labored "working with their hands; beingreviled (they) bless(ed); being persecuted (they) sufferedit" (I Cor. 4:12,13).Long hair certainly isn't immoral; Samson and theNazarites were commanded not to cut their hair. PossiblyJohn the Baptist was one of them ("he shall drink neitherwine or strong drink," one of the requirements for theNazarites). Absalom, no credit to him, had long hair. Sodid Samson and Samuel. For whatever reason, Paul said itwas a shame for a man to have long hair (I Cor. 11:14).Hair styles, because of adoption by certain militantgroups, may have moral implications that reach farbeyond mere personal preference or custom. Thereported purveyors of smut, filth, and drug promotion,who are exhibiting the stage production "Hair" all acrossthe country, weren't lacking in show business know-how inmany aspects of their opproprious and illicit traffic.Possibly they exercised some diabolical insight in thenaming of their production.On a more existential note, male hair styles, acrossthe social spectrum and across the geographical spectrum,are changing, and what the outcome is to be, is anybody'sguess. Like some other changes, this can be traumatic. Itmay be as explosive as the matter of women's skirts. Itdoesn't admit of easy definition as to what is proper andwhat is improper for a Christian, but also, like the matterof women's skirts, it is not a matter of indifference, forPaul directs, regarding women's dress, "that women adornthemselves in modest apparel" (I Tim. 2:9).So, if the Lord has blessed you with hair, and it is amatter of overriding moral principle and personal integritysufficient to outweigh other considerationswith you, let it grow long—or short, curl it, crop it, rat it,mat it, tat it, part it, dye it, braid it—but wash it.4 COVENANTER WITNESS