| “Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.” |
| —Ephesians 4:3 |
Usually, when we think of Japanese traditional attire for women, we think of the kimono. As early as the 5th century, these “robes” were worn by unmarried women. Traditionally, the T-shaped garment is tied together around the waist using a sash known as an obi. Obis can be formal or informal, wide or narrow, and of many various materials, depending on the usage.
Wikipedia.com describes the following:
There were two reasons for the obi: firstly, to maintain the aesthetic balance of the outfit, the longer sleeves needed a wider sash to accompany them; secondly, unlike today (where they are customary only for unmarried women) married ladies also wore long-sleeved kimono in the 1770s. The use of long sleeves without leaving the underarm open would have hindered movements greatly.
A woman's obi is worn in a fancy musubi knot. There are ten ways to tie an obi, and different knots are suited to different occasions and different kimono.
There are many different types of women's obi, and the usage of them is regulated by many unwritten rules not unlike those that concern the kimono itself. Certain types of obi are used with certain types of kimono; the obi of married and unmarried women are tied in different ways. Often the obi adjusts the formality and fanciness of the whole kimono outfit: the same kimono can be worn in very different situations depending on what kind of obi is worn with it.
So from this description, we can see that the obi ties everything together with consideration for balance, beauty, and the movement of the person wearing the kimono. What an elegant picture of the kind of unity we find within the body of Christ. Though we see many different manifestations of Christ’s Body—the Church—God blesses His people with the “sash of His peace” that holds everything together in balance and beauty.
In fact, the Lord Jesus Christ has called those of us in His body to peace. The Ephesians passage quoted at the beginning of this blog post goes on to state in Ephesians 4:4:
There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to one hope when you were called—one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all.
Are we married to Christ? Indeed we are. Then our “garments of His righteousness” should be evident to all. Just as the obi of a Japanese woman speaks of her marital status, so should the peace that binds Christians together speak of the relationship we have with Jesus, our Savior, Lord, and King.
In this world of constant noise and strife, the unity that comes from the bond of peace must mark us as Christians. As Psalm 133:1 states:
How good and pleasant it is when brothers live together in unity.
May this unity of God’s peace bind and beautify every member of the Body of Christ!
