To beard or not to beard
Urbanmonk has a question for all Christians as a result of his recent job interview with WORD ™ bookstore, after being conflicted over the fact that he has recently grown a beard:
But wouldnt you know, the dude who interviewed me is a member of a clean cut suit wearing pentecostal church. In the middle of the interview, he says to me, “we have a policy that all employees are to be clean shaven. Is that a problem?” I said no. But I think I meant yes. The assertivness classes dont seem to be paying off. Then he asked me if I attended a Church, and I was forced to admit that no, I wasnt currently attending a church.
It struck me as slightly ironic that all over this establishment are pictures of JESUS. ( Like Yo! WORD to the beard growin saviour!) Who, yes, we all know grew his beard like a pet. Now sticklers will note, no doubt, that this point is a matter of context. Jesus was a jew in first century palestine. I am an unemployed man in twenty first century Melbourne, with a work history dominated by retail. But still, you can appreciate the irony cant you?
Whaddaya reckon? Should I shave my beard so I can better sell Jesus?
Thanks for making me laugh late on Thursday night.
March 16th, 2007 at 7:15 am
Jesus was a clean shaven blond blue-eyed white dude.
March 16th, 2007 at 9:28 am
What I can’t believe - this sounds like the sort of challenge that happened in my youth in the 70s in a Brethren (Open, not Exclusive) church. I can remember one “elder” (in deference to his age, not his authority or position in the church) who used to always challenge the length of the young men’s hair. Until one day, someone stood up to him and offered to measure his hair - at the back and at the top - against the elder man’s. It was a laugh, because the elder had the most monstrous comb over, and his hair was about 8 inches long at the top!!!
What is the issue here - conforming to the world’s standards, setting a new form of circumcision hoop for people to jump through in order to be acceptable or what?
Even the use of the word “backslider” reminds me of my youth - and it was always external factors that were used to judge the “backsliddenness” of the person - not their attitudes, or heart, or willingness to hear from God and grow in Christ.
I can well remember young men and women who were influenced by the “Jesus Movement” and had come into a real relationship with God challenging such leadership - and in the end, the leaders whose hearts were for seeing people in a genuine relationship with God were won over, and the others fell by the wayside, or moved into stricter and stricter churches.
One of the characteristics of the church I grew up in was that there was no hierarchy to answer to - outside the eldership of the local church. At least we didn’t have to deal with the megalomaniac characteristics we see today.
March 16th, 2007 at 9:43 am
Beard up!
March 16th, 2007 at 10:11 am
Chuck the razor brother!
March 16th, 2007 at 10:18 am
If your faith allows tyou to grow a beard then grow a beard, however if your faith does not allow for that, then don;t - hope I’ve been helpful.
I have a beard (goatee) and I will not ever shave ti off for any reason - I think you’ll find that for them to even be asking about church attendance is illegal in a job interview - they are a business, not a church or parachurch minsitry and so I think they still fall under the EO and anti discrimination legislation. Grow the beard and live - shave it and become a slave to the man - it’s time to break free form the shackles of conservative fundamentalism and flick teh bird at this so called Christian book store!
March 16th, 2007 at 10:30 am
My wife recently began working as a pharmacy assistant, and was asked to remove her nose piercing. The other staff had collectively made the decision that they would have minimal jewellery, and no face jewellery in deference to the customers that they often serve (often elderly and/or conservative folks who are looking for people they can trust).
She refused to remove it when she was teaching at a Christian school, cos the reasons given were dumb. However, with this one, the reasons had at least been thought through, and generated from a staff level, not a ‘top down’ approach.
You’ll know that in retail, you only get one chance to make a 1st impression. I guess that’s why uniforms and/or dress codes are strictly enforced in some places.
Part of running a business is making decisions as to how to best connect with your client base. In this case, I’m guessing mostly (semi) conservative Christians who have other shops they can buy things from if they feel uncomfortable. In making those decisions, you get to make policy. It might be dumb policy, but when it’s your business, you get to live & die by those policies.
It’s only a beard. You need a job. You SAID (unassertively!
) that you ‘didn’t have a problem with removing it’. The Great Aussie Shave is coming up.
Get some sponsorship, make a date, and come clean!
Or - tell the interviewer ‘thanks, but no thanks’.
Oh - don’t go the ‘Jesus had a beard so Christian book shop employees need beards’ line. If that were the case, then the Christian book shop would enforce a very different dress standard, and ‘daily taking up your cross’ may have an entirely different outcome…
March 16th, 2007 at 10:43 am
Don;t listen to Toddy, he’s jealous cuase he can’t grow a beard. KLeep the beard and stay on the Dole…or start up a Christian book store right next door that let’s you ahve a beard and only sells book by authors who have beards - male or female! (the people - not the beards)
March 16th, 2007 at 11:13 am
Make armbands that say - make beards history
March 16th, 2007 at 11:23 am
I have a goatee that is threatening to take over the South West. It even hangs below the face mask part of my mc helmet.
It’s a male beard. It’s plaitable, but it’s male…
(Maybe I don’t want anyone else to have a beard, so that I remain as unique as I think I am…)
March 16th, 2007 at 1:19 pm
If JC walked into WORD, they might tell him to “get a haircut – and get a real job”.
March 16th, 2007 at 1:27 pm
Leviticus 19:27. ‘You shall not cut the hair on the sides of your heads, neither shall you clip off the edge of your beard.’
Oh, so THAT bit of Leviticus doesn’t apply any more.
Christians can be such dickheads.
Come on fundies…where are all your ‘God doesn’t change what he thinks’ arguments now?
March 16th, 2007 at 3:42 pm
“so I think they still fall under the EO and anti discrimination legislation”
Maybe, but they can claim it was for a different reason… “someone else was better in the interview”
I suppose if you need the job, you could shave it off, then grow it back when your probationary period is up. Make sure you join the union.
Still… I haven’t bothered to scrutinise the Howard Govt’s new laws… maybe they can do this these days?
March 16th, 2007 at 5:26 pm
Hair today, gone tomorrow?
You could always tell them you are an orthodox muslim and you will sue their white bread asses all the way to the top if they try and make you shave - if it was true. I’m not suggesting you lie. :p
You do realise that next time I am in Word bookstore I will now ask if i can be served by a person with facial hair like I do, and when not I will just leave my Joyce Mire book on the counter and walk out.
March 16th, 2007 at 7:11 pm
Strike a deal: I’ll shave my legs but not my face?
Although, I’m with the No Beard Rule. Not for any good reason at all, just an arbitrary opinion about facial hair. I think it comes from too much bullying and abuse from hostel masters in my youth who had typical teacher-beards.
I just don’t get the beard thang. Fire those Bearded Wonders. They can go work for Forge!!!!!
March 16th, 2007 at 7:15 pm
Actually, I think bald is more in vogue at Forge… generous sprinklings of long hair, dreads, and standard $10 barber cuts.
March 16th, 2007 at 9:10 pm
Well OK, they can work for the Uniting Church then!
March 16th, 2007 at 11:59 pm
Jesus S(h)aves
March 17th, 2007 at 7:52 am
[…] Signpost has a post of Urbanmonks experience of going for a job at Word Christian Book Store and has been told that the store’s policy is for employees to be ‘clean shaven’. This is somewhat ironic as the iconic Jesus always has a beard. Does this means Jesus would be unemployable at Word? I heard that Disney had that policy as well. Again ironic when thinking of Walt and now Steve Jobs! […]
March 19th, 2007 at 10:34 am
There comes a time when we heed a certain call
When the bearded must come together as one
There are people shaving
Oh, and it’s time to lend a hand to stop
The greatest shame of all
We can’t go on shaving day by day
hopiong someone, somehow will soon grow a beard
We’re all a part of God’s great big family
And the truth - you know facial hair is all we need
( CHORUS )
We are the bearded, the great unshaven
We are the ones who make a brighter day
so let’s stop shaving
There’s a breard we’re growing
We’re not shaving our own face
It’s true we have a better face
Just grow a beard
Well, send’em you your hair
So they know that someone cares
And their beards will be stronger and free
As God has shown us
By having a beard himself
And so we all must grow side burns
( REPEAT CHORUS )
When you’re pre-pubescent
There seems no hair at all
But if your pituatary secretes
There’s no way to stop the growth
Well, well, well, let’s realize
That no shaving can only come
When we stand together as one
( REPEAT CHORUS AND FADE )
and for those who like to sing along
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P7fog5EjJTc
March 19th, 2007 at 1:16 pm
Hey, I used to work at Word. You’ve got off easy! And all those comments about “Jesus walking into Word”…hmmm…don’t make me laugh…we (as staff) often wished he would walk in. All those Gaither videos are probably an neffective barrier. As employers, the good people at Word were truly the worst I have ever come across. Poor wages, hypocritical mean spirited management, family run (which meant that after hours the boss’ wife used to go through employees computers…), sack happy, non-overtime paying, no coffee at the desk, constantly referring to themselves as ‘performing a ministry’…I could go on. Needless to say, dear Urbanmonk, that if you do get this job, grow a beard. Immediately. Something like a Wookie if you can. Your very sooouuuullll is at stake!!!
And, yes, I am seeing a professional regarding my time there…
May 28th, 2007 at 9:32 am
[…] I DID IT! […]
May 28th, 2007 at 12:02 pm
I know mr monk, and his beard is substantial, and well groomed.
rev
May 28th, 2007 at 7:36 pm
I too have embeardified myself and can report it is not having a negative impact on my faith. Nor does it seem to be decreasing the desire of people to come up and ask me for a book, so it looks like the Christian bookshops can stop worrying.