The Emperor's New Clothes

     As a child, the story of "The Emperor's New Clothes" was both more perplexing and fascinating than any other story my parents ever read to me. It appears that many years ago there was an Emperor that loved new clothes above all else. He cared nothing for his family, his soldiers, or his people. All of his attention and money went to the acquisition of new clothes. So much so that the Emperor had a different coat for every hour of the day. One day two swindlers came to town with the idea of turning a large profit from the Emperor's obsession. They went into great detail about the magnificence of their fabrics. In addition they claimed, "clothes made from our finest cloths become invisible to anyone who is unfit for his office, or who is unusually stupid." Immediately the Emperor decided that he must have these new clothes. "If I wore them I would be able to discover which men in my empire are unfit for their posts and I could tell the wise men from the fools," he thought.  Fully now in their trap, the Emperor paid the swindlers a very large sum of money to start work at once.

     The swindlers set up their looms and pretended to weave these magnificent fabrics into the finest garments. Anticipation was swelling as the whole town had heard about the "peculiar power" of these magic clothes and all were anxious to find out "how stupid their neighbors were."   The Emperor so badly wanted to check on the progress but what if he couldn't see the clothing? The entire town would know he was unfit for his post and would think him a fool. The Emperor decided he would send a series of honest and respected men to check on the progress the supposed designers were making. To their dismay, they saw nothing. Oh, the designers were hunched over the looms working away, but they appeared to be working at nothing. Their hands were empty, the looms were empty, the finished coats invisible. Of course they could not admit this, for then the entire town would know they were unfit for their posts and would think them to be fools. So the truth was denied and the lie perpetuated.

     The day came for the Emperor to parade his new clothes through town. He undressed and had the swindlers array him in his new "kingly" garments. All of his advisers remarked at how magnificent the robes truly were, though deep inside they new he stood naked. Off the Emperor went, parading his "new clothes" through town. One by one the townspeople said, "Oh, how fine are the Emperor's new clothes!" "Don't they fit him to perfection?" "And see his long train!"  No one would admit that he or she couldn't see anything--why risk being mocked by their neighbors? Why risk having others think them a fool? So the truth was denied and the lie perpetuated. Until that is, the Emperor passed by a little child. "But he hasn't got anything on," the child said. The child, unhindered by the fear of man or the complexities of life, stated what the entire town knew to be true. The Emperor wasn't wearing a thing and was parading his nakedness throughout the town.

     Though several hundred years have passed, once again swindlers have returned to offer their invisible clothes. This time their offer takes the form of "gay marriage." Though the designers are hunched over their looms working away, their hands are empty, the looms are empty, and the finished coats invisible. Virtually every culture in the history of the world has understood marriage between a man and a woman. As others have said, we can no more have "gay marriage" than have square circles. But these swindlers are slick, and who wants others to think them unfit for their post or to think them a fool? So ministers and politicians alike have pretended to see a marriage where there is no marriage. Once again nakedness is paraded around town as the truth is denied and the lie perpetuated. Just as no one loved the Emperor enough to tell him the truth, no one appears to love proponents of "gay marriage" enough to tell them the truth in love. We are in need of a child to state the obvious. Fortunately a child has come and done that for us. That child was born and grew into a man. During his earthly ministry He defined marriage as between one man and one woman for life. The Good News is that child didn't just come and state the obvious and then return to His home. No, that child grew into a man, and then died on a cross at the hands of all of us townspeople. He was buried and then rose again on the third day conquering death and offering forgiveness of sins to all who turn in repentance. His love is like no other. The Good News is that the Gospel of Jesus Christ is for the swindlers, Emperors, and townspeople alike. His yoke is easy and his burden light, but if we would follow him we must deny ourselves and take up our cross.