"Not Of This World", or NOTW if you're familiar with the brand which, I'm sure you are: you can't go two blocks in San Diegoor any town in southern California for that matter, without seeing it plastered on someone's car and/or face.
Here's a little background for those of you who are reading this and are wondering, "What is NOTW?" Not Of This World is the clothing line owned by the Christian retail chain C28. Aurelio F. Barreto III started the company in 2001 after he sold his business, Dogloo, for $21 million. This guy's story is pretty interesting actually, but only because he invented the Dogloo: those igloo shaped doghouses. He made millions on the business and then, after he became suicidal, accepted Christ and sold it. There are currently six stores in Southern California and the company just celebrated its first profitable year in 2006.
First of all, I get it. I get it. Seriously. The stores sell clothes that are "cool" and "hip" so that Christian teens can share their faith; they provide believers with clean, modest apparel and accessories that allow them to express their beliefs. The stores are different from other Christian stores because they don't sell the cheesy Precious Moments figures or the pink valour crosses. I think the main catchword that all the Christian magazines are using to describe the stores/brand is "edgy". Side note: C28 is not edgy. Marilyn Manson is edgy; a hoody with a cross on it is not. It's pretty much like a Sun Diego for Christians. Honestly, I don't know why someone didn't do this earlier. It is genius. And by that I mean genius in the same way that The Prayer of Jabez was genius because it made Bruce Wilkinson ungodly amounts of money and brainwashed more people than 1984 and Gattaca combined. I realize that only last year did Barreto post his first profits, but that's common. That's how business works. When he is confronted about his blatant profiteering of Christ his excuse is that this was the first year they had been profitable. Most companies don't show a profit for several years, especially when you're opening a new store every year like he was. Any way you look at it, Barreto is going to make a killing off of Christians
So let's get down to the brass tacks: C28 and NOTW are hawking God like a street corner vender in Mexico selling ceramic monkeys, two tacos and a Coke for a buck thirty-nine. Here is my main point: they are doing the same thing as Abercrombie, Urban Outfitters or Hollister Co. just for a different segment of the market. They have the same stuff as those other companies, but their demographic is slightly different: it's Christians, thus their merchandise reflects that. They encourage you to conform, but to conform to the world in a Christian way. Colossians 2:8: "See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ." Too late. =( Sad face. It is so deceitful. They are selling out God like it's no body's business: and indeed, up until now it had actually been no body's business to exploit Christians this grossly via the retail-clothing market. Good thing we filled that void. Thanks Barreto.
Here is their mission statement (from their website:): " Not Of This World' is an alternative lifestyle brand that goes beyond the norm. NOTW is an identity set apart, designed to save and empower lives. Uniquely made and part of a bigger plan, NOTW provides fashion that communicates the grace, truth and love of Jesus. It is about you and the One who loves you most."
So, my question is, what does this even mean? Since when did Jesus become a lifestyle and since when did I need overpriced clothing to show that I love Jesus? When was it ever about me? And which norm are we talking about here? But the worst part about this is the line "designed to save and empower lives". This clothing is designed to save? Really? They've usurped the power of Jesus. Forget His death and resurrection, just go pick up a sweet new T-shirt covered in Old English font, some cargo shorts and a leather wristband that says NOTW and you've just got yourself a ticket through the pearly gates. Sweet! God bless, bro! And they've also assumed the role of the Holy Spirit to "empower lives". That is the job of the Holy Spirit: to empower believers. Who's next, God the Father? "NOTW is sovereign and all-powerful". Well, at least this is convenient. Instead of allowing the power of God to overcome my sin nature and save me I can just go purchase my religion from a store and be transformed by the renewing of my wardrobe. Awesome.
Their goal is to give people fashionable clothing that allows Christians to express their faith and to have an identity that is "set apart". Two things: First, being fashionable is not edgy. Being fashionable means you conform to trends around you. "Edgy" (I seriously hate that word) means you push the boundaries of social expectations and standards. C28 does not push any boundaries; rather it is content to slide right into its perfect market sector and stay there. It is only edgy in a Christian bubble but in the real world the people who shop there are just like everyone else. So this company joins the prestigious ranks, like I mentioned earlier, with Sun Diego, Abercrombie, Hollister and Urban Outfitters in serving to raise and encourage an awareness of fashion, encourage you to buy the clothes you don't need and useless armbands, necklaces and clothes. But it is worse for C28 because they purport to send a gospel message and it is hard to take them seriously when their racks are full of $50 sweatshirts and $80 jeans. It shows that not only do they believe in God, they also believe in being good consuming Americans, caring about their appearance, following fashion and being trendy.
Second, fashion is not an improper means of influencing people but it is not the most efficient or effective. Celebrities do it all the time, but that's because they have nothing useful to say; so they just shock people because it's easy and it gets them the attention they so desperately crave. And also if they wear something then people will go out and buy it too. But that's where their influence ends: in briefly shocking us and then convincing us to look like them. If you want to express your beliefs through your clothing and be "edgy" there is a better and less expensive way to do it. Spend $7 on some plain shirts from Target, get a Sharpie, draw a huge friggin' cross on it and then write "I Love Jesus" underneath it. This will do the same thing as buying a shirt from NOTW and you will also be edgy instead of conforming to predetermined norms about fashion.
Many of you will say, "But lots of people have come to know Jesus because of this store." I say, so what? Does that make it right? How many times has God used detrimental things to further His kingdom? During the first century the church was plagued by heresy. The result was the canonization of the Bible and the forming of the early councils. How many people have been saved by the witness of Christian martyrs?
Lastly, I'm interested in knowing what their "bigger plan" is. I have a theory and it isn't what you're expecting. It isn't that NOTW is part of God's bigger plan for humanity. Let's rearrange the letters in the acronym: instead of NOTW for "Not Of This World" change it to TNWO. The New World Order (just for you B). You may be laughing right now, but I'm not laughing. I honestly believe that this company is highly subversive. It angers me that they have Shanghai-ed the Master for financial gain and are leaving His people high and dry like some two bit carpetbaggers.