Flying with Dreadlocks, part 3

Jesus' original Hebrew name was Yeshua, which translates directly as "Jah Saves" or "Jah is Salvation". And the word salvation comes down through Latin roots, meaning unbroken, undamaged. Jesus died on the cross to show God's character, that God is giving, pure in self-sacrificing love. Jah wants to prove His trustworthiness. Yes, God could open the sky and pronounce "I am God, serve me", but what would people's motivation be for serving Him? Fear? Requirement? Jah is a God of freedom, and He doesn't change. He wants to prove His character, and He did on the cross, and He wants people to enter into a relationship, a saving, or salvation relationship with Him based on the truth of His character.

So how do dreadlocks fit in to that? Well, it is recorded in history that many people of Nazareth would grow dreads as part of a vow, or covenant of purity they would enter into with God. Jesus was from Nazareth. I wonder if He had dreads? Would you take Him more seriously is He did?

Bob Marley said "give thanks and praise to the Lord and we will feel alright." And this is truth. Bob Marley grew his dreadlocks as part of his Rastafarian belief. These days, few people grow dreadlocks to show their allegiance to the Lion of Zion, or because they wish to be in accordance with Old Testament decrees about not cutting your hair. Dreadlocks are now fashion, and like everything else in this material world, they are almost devoid of spiritual value.

Ah, but the irony is that God is still God. The Eternal is still the Eternal. As this world comes to a close (rapidly), fashions will pass away, but God shall stand. "The stone that the builder refused shall be the head cornerstone." God is the head cornerstone, and all spiritual people, and all faiths through history that truly developed a relationship with God, that came to know God, from the aesthetic holy men of the east to modern day Christians (like me, Praise the LORD) to the kid riding a downtown subway with knotty dreadlocks on his head and Bob Marely in his discmon Ö I mean, discman, feeling the beat and praising the Eternal Creator shall draw close to God, and God shall draw close to them, and they shall gain His wisdom, which surpasses the things of this world.