It feels like a luxury even though it is a type of uniform. For a reasonable price, cheaper than the quality shirts I used to buy when I was young, I have access to bespoke shirts made in the style I choose with the cloth I select. In contrast to the difficulty in getting access to reasonably priced shoes, tailored shifts are readily available.
It is hard to explain the feeling to anyone living in a place where bespoke shirts are a luxury if they are available at all. The starting point is that my waistline is taken into account, fat wrists accommodated, and even my between tall and regular size considered a non-event. When one combines this with a high thread count cotton and expert craftsmanship, you have the recipe for something special. Wearing the shirts is an invitation to remember, appreciate, and enjoy. In time each will wear out, however it is a lot longer than the average shift from the store. When the shirt eventually dies, it is a good excuse to shop for another.
Putting one of my favorite shirts on this morning trigger a reflection on much I value the form, content, and quality that I continue to experience. In each day there are opportunities to take the form of compassion, the content of mercy, and the quality that is born when we start with the premise that we are all members of the same family and do something with it. When these fit together, old words spring to life; “He loves it when everything fits, when his world is in plumb-line true. Earth is drenched in God’s affectionate satisfaction.” (Psalm 33.5)
I never thought of myself as a tailor. I realize that I am called to be part of the hands, eyes, and feet that help compassion, mercy, and community come together in a perfect fit. Life never comes with a predefined script, so everyday is a canvas where you and I leave our marks. Today is an invitation to be a Divine artist. It is our time for action.
