I must have been about eight or nine years old. Dad had worked some 16 years for the company he loved, Greyhound Bus Lines, when they updated their logo to a colorful and patriotic red, white, and blue wave behind the famed dog (their new logo may have been influenced by the nation’s bicentennial celebration). That same Christmas, Deanna, David and I were given Greyhound t-shirts with the oversized logo, and printed across the front were bold words, “Go Greyhound.” It was a touch of old and new. The logo was newly revised, but the tag line maintained the campaign started in the 1950’s, “Go Greyhound, and Leave the Driving to Us.”
The t-shirt quickly became one of my favorites, rivalling wearing time with my Cincinnati Reds t-shirt of “Mr. Red Legs” running through the wishbone “C,” a shirt I have packed away in a box. I wore my Greyhound shirt proudly, partly because my dad worked for the company, and partly because my dad gave me the shirt. So it was no surprise that when the first opportunity to wear the shirt publically presented itself, I jumped at the chance to wear it.
Steve and Tim were playing a high school basketball game, in which hundreds (?) of people were certain to show up for the game. Our gym was always packed, loud, and exciting. We were the Knights and our colors were black and white. I should have worn black and white. Mom had crocheted me a granny-squared, black and white vest that I usually wore to the games to show my support (yes, it’s in the same box as the Reds t-shirt). But that night, I wanted to show everyone my new, cool t-shirt. So I put it on and planned on going to the game. Instead, I was told in no uncertain terms to change my shirt. Mom, Steve, and Tim, in very strong words of warning, telling me I was not to wear that t-shirt to this game.
I was a little shocked. I didn’t understand why, but I thought I knew better. I went upstairs and grabbed my heavy coat. I put it on, zipped it up, and thought that when I got to the game, I could take my coat off and parade around in my new colors. With mom running the scoreboard and my brothers playing in the games, I was free to do as I pleased. And I did exactly that. I paraded my shirt with the bold lettering, “Go Greyhound,” written across my chest. Within five minutes, all my friends were laughing at me and the adults who knew better were smirking. Suddenly, mom and my wiser brothers’ warning came clear. They weren’t against me wearing the shirt to a ballgame, they were against me wearing the shirt to that ballgame: we were playing the Gaston Greyhounds, and my shirt in bold lettering was cheering, “Go Greyhound(s).” I went to the bathroom to turn my shirt inside out, and then hid the rest of the night under the bleachers.
We might expect an eight year old to mistakenly wear the wrong shirt in support of the wrong team. But in your walk of faith, have you ever wore a shirt that ended up supporting Satan and his cause? Yes, you’re loyal to Jesus, but your actions deceives your heart. Greed, lust, slander, hate, bitterness, anger, unforgiving, apathy, and divisiveness are all actions that betray your loyalty to Jesus. Paul might say it like this, “We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer?” (Rom. 6:2b).
I no longer have the Greyhound t-shirt, though I do wish it was packed away in a box of mementos. I think about that shirt every now and then, and even more so about the man who gave it to me. Even more important is that Jesus gave us something to wear (Col. 3:12), are we wearing it or choosing to wear his enemies colors?
Soli Deo Gloria!
(i.e. only God is glorified!)