Lipstick
By grade five, I made a decision: I was going to fight darkness.
And for some reason, my chosen battlefield… was lipstick.
As a young Mennonite girl, I had been taught by my older, more conservative sisters that vanity—especially wearing lipstick—was sinful. Ironically, they were just beginning to dabble in makeup themselves. But I took a stand. I drew a line in the sand. Lipstick, I declared, was a symbol of evil.
I went on a bit of a crusade. At school and at church, I’d inform anyone who would listen—classmates, teachers, even adults—that lipstick was wrong.
But then—horror of horrors—I discovered that Billy Graham’s wife wore lipstick.
Billy Graham! The prophet of all prophets. The preacher of preachers. A man so revered, so holy. That his wife wore lipstick shook me to the core.
And shortly after that, I started wearing nail polish.
Looking back now, I laugh. It’s funny how we try to define evil in such childish, simplistic ways. Writing this blog—tentatively titled Evil to the Power of Five—has opened my eyes to the deeper complexities of both evil and goodness.
As Paul wrote, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). Evil may be real, and often ugly—but in comparison, love is far more powerful.
That same passage ultimately points us toward grace. “Behold, I stand at the door and knock…” God is always extending love. Always inviting.
It’s given me a deeper appreciation for the quiet, persistent power of love. In the end, lipstick isn’t evil - it isn't our enemy - a closed heart is.
“Time is too slow for those who wait, too swift for those who fear, too long for those who grieve, too short for those who rejoice, but for those who love, time is eternity.” —Henry Van Dyke
And for some reason, my chosen battlefield… was lipstick.
As a young Mennonite girl, I had been taught by my older, more conservative sisters that vanity—especially wearing lipstick—was sinful. Ironically, they were just beginning to dabble in makeup themselves. But I took a stand. I drew a line in the sand. Lipstick, I declared, was a symbol of evil.
I went on a bit of a crusade. At school and at church, I’d inform anyone who would listen—classmates, teachers, even adults—that lipstick was wrong.
But then—horror of horrors—I discovered that Billy Graham’s wife wore lipstick.
Billy Graham! The prophet of all prophets. The preacher of preachers. A man so revered, so holy. That his wife wore lipstick shook me to the core.
And shortly after that, I started wearing nail polish.
Looking back now, I laugh. It’s funny how we try to define evil in such childish, simplistic ways. Writing this blog—tentatively titled Evil to the Power of Five—has opened my eyes to the deeper complexities of both evil and goodness.
As Paul wrote, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). Evil may be real, and often ugly—but in comparison, love is far more powerful.
That same passage ultimately points us toward grace. “Behold, I stand at the door and knock…” God is always extending love. Always inviting.
It’s given me a deeper appreciation for the quiet, persistent power of love. In the end, lipstick isn’t evil - it isn't our enemy - a closed heart is.
“Time is too slow for those who wait, too swift for those who fear, too long for those who grieve, too short for those who rejoice, but for those who love, time is eternity.” —Henry Van Dyke
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