New Hair

4 min read

20 All the people of the land rejoiced, and the city was calm, because Athaliah had been slain with the sword at the palace.

21 Joash was seven years old when he began to reign.
— 2 Kings 11:20-21

When I joined the Air Force and started basic training, one of the first things they did was to give all the recruits a buzz cut. They basically take electric clippers dialed to the closest setting and cut all your hair off. It’s kind of a surreal experience. All of basic training is kind of surreal, actually.

I remember explaining the buzz cut to a friend when I went home to visit, and he was like, “That’s so cool! It’s like having new hair!” As new-wave-punk rockers in the 80s, we were all very interested in interesting hair styles. And it seemed like with all my hair gone, I could have a “fresh start” with my “new” hair.

In an odd sort of way, maybe that’s how the people of Judah felt when Athaliah was cut down and Joash was coronated as king. It was like having a “fresh start” with “new” hair. And with this fresh start came a renewal of the covenant between God, the king, and the people.

And in a way also, our salvation in Christ Jesus is like having a fresh start every day. We can renew our covenant with God in Christ Jesus every day.

This kind of fresh start is not so easy, though. First of all, we have to be willing to let go of the guilt and shame of sin and trust that God has forgiven us because Jesus is continually interceding for us.

Second of all, we have to be willing to overlook the way people tend to “box” us into our old selves. For some really strange reason, others do not naturally want us to escape that “box” and have a fresh start.

Third of all, we have to be willing to let other people escape their “boxes” and allow them to have fresh starts of their own.

And finally, we must not allow ourselves to be too discouraged if we should slip back into the box, and we should not gloat and be happy when others slip back into their box.

This kind of ongoing fresh starts and renewals can only be possible when we have Christ’s perspective from His heavenly throne. May I have a fresh start with a new head of hair today.

Father, You are so kind and merciful to us. May Your kindness lead us to repentance and draw us into the newness of our salvation each and every day. In Jesus’s name. Amen.