A Lament for Lost Modesty

Just a century ago exposed ankles were considered risque, but once the sight of ankles became commonplace, it no longer garnered attention. Knees and cleavage came next, and on and on until today, when we see exposed bellies in the winter cold, and bare bottoms in thong bikinis at the neighborhood swim club. “It’s the trend,” people argue, as if our well being depends on following what is trendy. Regardless, this is more than mere trend. There is always an underlying motive. If a young woman walks around with an exposed belly in school or in church, she is revealing a portion of her body universally associated with eroticism, and therefore, she is certainly after something, even if that something is merely an attempt to fit in with her peers.

Our culture promises rewards for casting aside modesty, but since evangelicalism has lost much of its distinction from the culture, we are unable to see that its promises are lies. But young women aren't the only ones believing the lies. Those of us a tad bit older must consider our culpability. We may inwardly scorn the idea of breast implants, but what about push-up bras? If we get right down to it, there isn’t much difference between implants and Miracle Bras because the objective is the same.

We women are often tempted to find an acceptable way to blend the culture ideal into our Christian value system by drawing the line at extremes. “It’s okay to do this, but I’d never do that,” we say, but if the goal is the same, there is no difference as far as God is concerned. Let's take a fresh look at how we are allowing ourselves to be influenced by worldly ideas of beauty and how much society's ideals have infiltrated our churches, our homes, and our own thinking.