By Robin Sam
HOLLYWOOD actress Lindsay Lohan set off a wild media frenzy recently over the dress she was wearing when she walked up to testify at a Los Angeles courtroom on Feb 9.
The actress, dubbed as very style-conscious, had to appear in the court on charges of stealing a necklace. However, the media went abuzz with reports not of her trial but of her white dress.
The dress, designed by Kimberly Ovitz, sells for $575. Online shoppers who saw photographs of Lohan walking in the white frock in what appeared to be bare legs and a pair of $350 black Chanel 5182 sunglasses, went berserk. The dress went viral on the Internet as shoppers bought the dress at every online store that sells Ovitz’s designs.
The trial related to the case where Lohan is accused of stealing a $2,500 necklace at an upscale jewelry store. In the court, however, she pleaded not guilty to felony grand theft. It was interesting to see websites dedicated to fashion and celebrity coverage running stories asking readers if the skimpy white dress was appropriate enough for court.
White has traditionally been associated with innocence. In the Bible, however, white dress stands for purity. In Revelation 4:4 we read about the 24 elders dressed in white. They also had crowns of gold on their heads. The 24 elders were not any fashionistas but represent all the churches in the world. Heaven is readied for the redeemed as Jesus Christ promised in John 14:3. The crown of righteousness is given to all those who have longed for His appearing (2 Timothy 4:8). Unlike our earthly name and fame, the crown of glory that His chosen receive from the Chief Shepherd will never fade away (1 Peter 5:4).
In Revelation 3: 4 and 5, we see Jesus talking about a group of people who have not soiled their clothes. Anyone who guards his soul in Christ and commits his life to Jesus while on earth will walk with Him in eternity dressed in white, ‘for they are worthy’.
The ‘great multitude of people’ described in Revelations 7:9 will belong to every nation, tribe, people and language. ‘They will stand before the throne and in front of the Lamb.’ It is mentioned that they will be wearing white robes.
White is not just for the redeemed. Even the seven angels with the seven plagues that will torment the world in the time to come will be dressed in clean, shining white linen with golden sashes around their chests (Rev 15:6).
When the enemy’s plan to annihilate God’s chosen was defeated, the chief intercessor of the Jews, Mordecai, was honored by the king himself. In Esther 8:15, we see Mordecai emerging out of the king’s presence wearing royal garments of blue and white, a large crown of gold and a purple robe of fine linen. Through this passage, the writer of the book of Esther was indeed providing a sneak peek into the honor in store for all those who overcome.
Before the crucifixion, the Roman soldiers dressed Jesus in an elegant robe (one translation has it as white robe). Though they did that to mock Jesus, the King of kings indeed deserves the most gorgeous robe in all of the world. It may sound preachy alright but let me tell you this: That’s the white dress anyone born in the world should aspire for. If you want to be among those clothed in white, click here.
From the archives: All columns by the editor |
Robin Sam is the founding editor of The Christian Messenger newspaper. A journalist with 16 years of experience, he has worked with The Indian Express, Sify.com and Yahoo! besides several other publications. He quit his job in 2008 to get into full-time media ministry. You can contact him at editor [at] christianmessenger [dot] in or christianmessenger [dot] in [at] gmail [dot] com
