Your Slip Is Showing By Cleo Dailey III (Modernday Lazurus)

“Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn.” Matthew 13:30

Back in the days of old, there was a specific decorum in fashion. Not only were fit and fabrics essential, but undergarments would make or break an outfit. Growing up with sisters and a mother, it was not unusual to hear my mother send out helpful whispers to my sisters their “slip” was showing. A slip was an essential for the smoothing and finishing of a look. Over and over through the years, I could hear ladies help their sister-friends by telling them that their slip was showing. Then it hit me…

Backstories are important in understanding a principle. Jesus lived in a mostly rural agricultural land, where most of the people were farmers or raised their own livestock. It now makes sense that He often taught in parables (lessons given in allegory) that were relevant to the occupations of the people. That, in itself is a teach, for when we reach for people, we must be relevant to the people. Nevertheless, Jesus spoke in a parable one day pertaining to wheat and tares. Wheat, a staple of the community, had many uses. In fact, Bethlehem literally means “house of bread”. When Jesus spoke about wheat, the people immediately understood that there was a point to be made. Tares are the weeds that often grow up with the grains (wheat).

Jesus lived in a time of civil unrest and oppressive government. His people looked severely for a savior who would free them from the hand of unjust rulership. There were many ideas on how and even more information on why. But often the result was arguments by people who thought they knew what was right and frustration by others who appeared to be in charge. It is of no small importance that we point this out now when so many of us have questions and seek relief. Many people today look for answers in religion as paralleled in the day of Jesus. So what did Jesus mean? In the parable, Jesus explains, God sows good seed. God causes good people, represented by the good seed, to spread throughout the land. They are identified as God’s children. But the evil one comes to sow bad guys to spoil them, to frustrate God’s plan.

Social media can often be an epicenter of information. Conversely, it creates platforms and avenues for people to give improper data that harms the soul. How do we discern the two? As in wheat and tares, one will have weight to its merit, while the other will come and go with every wind, wave, and trend. Life often allows for winds, such as COVID, to separate wheat from tares. It is vital that we understand in these times that everyone has an opinion, answer, and conspiracy. Your peace is not in the auction block! You must guard your heart with all diligence, as stated in the book of proverbs. (Prov. 24:3)

Another indicator of wheat and tares is that of actions. In a time where leaders emerge, we should see and hear conversations of leaders be more about hope and forward plans, as opposed to what is being said. This is a cautionary tale in who we lend our ears to! If your speech is more about viruses and worry than it is of the proclamation of Jehovah Jireh, your slip is showing. If your dogma lends more to unrealistic standards and not safety, your slip is showing. And if you choose times like the present to make you stand out more than the love of God, your slip is showing. A slip will always expose what is underneath. From the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. In this space of time, let your words and deeds be seasoned with grace and humility. Trials-like heat, like wind, like frustration-always, bring the matter resting at the core to the surface. Before you leave your home and open your mouth, do a final check. Is your slip showing?