“I don’t think God gives a rip about the labels, but I’m convinced he cares a great deal for the heart behind the labels. What we wear on the outside has an interesting way of revealing what we really value on the inside. Our clothing reveals who we want to be known by and what we want to be known for.”
(Tim Challies) Everyone is talking about PreachersNSneakers. Well, not everyone, I’m sure, but enough that it has ended up in my inbox plenty of times over the past few days. PreachersNSneakers is an Instagram account that simply shares photos of preachers in their sneakers. No big deal, right?…
It wouldn’t be, except that these are not just any preachers in any sneakers—these are mega-church pastors in mega-expensive sneakers (or, occasionally, other designer garb). It’s just the kind of thing that’s sure to catch the eye of BuzzFeed and, through it, to reverberate across the Internet. And, sure, enough, it is growing by thousands of subscribers each day.
John Gray of the Relentless Church in Greenville—who, you may remember, was recently in the news for gifting his wife a $200,000 Lamborghini—is shown wearing one pair of shoes that sells for $3,700 and another that rings in at close to $6,000. Chad Veach and Judah Smith (of ZOE church in Los Angeles and City Church in Seattle, respectively) show up again and again, always with shoes or other bits of swag that cost in the hundreds of dollars. On and on it goes.
Research: