Hi there Rev,
I feel that our actions and conduct are the best proclamation of our faith to the world around us. I don't wear outward symbols or jewelry other than my wedding band. It's not that I distain them in any way, just a personal preference. Besides, my body seems to like killing the internal mechanics of any watch that I wear for more than a month. :lol:
That being said, I sometimes do need a reminder of whom I follow and why I must bring to heel my broken nature. My reminder is a small vial of oil which I keep in my pocket.
When I was young in my faith, my pastor gave a sermon on the importance of men fulfilling their roles as the priests of their households. When he was done, he gave each man a small glass vial of mineral oil to symbolize the oils that the priesthood would use for anointing.
He challenged us all to carry the vial in our pockets for 30 days. Whenever we would dig in our pocket for keys or change and , instead, bring out the vial, we were to reflect upon that role of "Priest" the God has given us for a moment.
He promised us that if we did this faithfully, it would transform our walk with God and our lives. Now, twelve years later, I still carry the vial.
I recently had an interesting interaction at work. The end of my shift overlaps the beginning of the custodial crew's night shift, so I have some contact with them a couple of times a week. One of the crew members was mad about something and was cussing up a storm when the supervisor pulled him aside and talked with him at length in a low murmur.
In a few minutes, the man who was angry came and apologized for saying what he did in front of me. Intrigued, I asked why he was apologizing to me specifically. Apparently, the entire night crew has been under the impression that I am a pastor of some sort.
I informed him that I am not a pastor in the sense that he assumed, but I am a priest. I then pulled the vial from my pocket and told him the story behind it. He apologized with a red face, but I told him that it is both honoring and humbling to be mistaken so, and that he was correct in his assumption in a way, so I took it as the highest form of compliment.
Now I just have to work on being mistaken more often.