Intentions Behind the TREASURE Collection
A reflection by Madison Kong, Product Design
Introduction
Each semester is characterized by new challenges God presents. The beginning of this past spring 2022 was characterized by uncertainty. After a smooth semester of majority returning members in the fall for “RESET”, we had a sudden shift in the makeup of our members. God’s timing and plan for each individual led to a team consisting of two returning members as leads and four newly recruited members. With this change came much failing, learning, and adapting. But we were all simultaneously convicted by and encouraged by this question: what does it mean to TREASURE the gospel?
Study of TREASURE
We were designed to be creatures of worship. But the object of this worship, the treasure we hold dear to our hearts, is what changes and shapes how we live and see the world. Often times, we treasure our jobs, grades, reputations, relationships, roles, money, vanity, intelligence, happiness, etc. but ultimately, we will never be satisfied because these earthly treasures will never compare to the heavenly, eternal treasure that is Christ himself.
So how can we live with eternity in our hearts instead of blindly following the temptations and idols of the world? How do we hold fast to the treasure of knowing Jesus in our hearts? What idols do you treasure before God and have you asked the Lord to cast them down? What is the response that we ought to have to discovering this “treasure hidden in a field” (Matthew 13:44)? If Christ is more valuable than all else, is it obvious to others around you? Why do we forget or diminish Christ so easily? Do we truly know and value the gospel?
Throughout the semester, our team pondered these questions and looked to the Word for guidance. YHWH Apparel strives to be rooted in the Word and to create designs with clear intentionality. Out of the discussions and reflections from Spring 2022 came our Hidden Treasure Tote and the Remembrance Pins.
Hidden Treasure Tote
“The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field” Matthew 13:44
19 “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, 20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Matthew 6:19–21
As the back of the tote bag states, the message of the design primarily comes from Matthew 6:20–21 paraphrased as “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on Earth, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven. For where your heart is, there your heart will be also”. A huge obstacle in treasuring the gospel is to leave behind idols of the world first. Our front design depicts a child with arms extended towards heaven to represent the pursuit of living with an eternity perspective.
What started out as a 10 minute idea dump with just shapes on Illustrator slowly but surely changed into our final product through various iterations and discussions as a team. Every detail and design choice was thoroughly talked about and prayed over to reflect the lessons we learned from the Word.
The cracked ground portrays Earth as it truly is according to Ecclesiastes 1 — “vanity of vanities” (v. 2), “full of weariness” (v. 8), and “a striving after wind” (v. 14). Just as a crumpled piece of paper cannot be smoothed back to its original state, the world has been broken by sin, leaving it full of cracks, imperfections, and brokenness.
We utilized negative space to convey God’s omnipresence through the Holy Spirit. During one of our Bible studies, our team discussed what makes the kingdom of heaven so heavenly to us; to be reunited with God in fullness is why we look forward to heaven. It is Christ Himself who we pursue and enjoy. And that makes it so we can joyfully sell all that we have to seek the treasure hidden in the field (Matthew 13:44).
The trail of bubbles has an intentional pathway from the heart to heaven above. Rather than including a thought or speech bubble, we designed the trail from the heart to address “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matthew 6:21). What you believe, cherish, and hold close to your heart permeates the rest of your life and dictates how you think and act as a result. There is an empty space over the heart of the child, a hole left from dissatisfaction from all else in the broken world. We were created to know God and to only experience complete joy and love in Him. The desire for purpose and longing for something more comes from our very design. We are yearning to be reunited with Christ.
The sapling growing from the child’s head comes from inspiration in being “rooted in Christ” from Colossians 2:6–7. “Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving”. As we continue to stay rooted in the Word and in our relationship with God as the foundation, we will grow in His timing and plan. As believers, our mission is to plant seeds of faith and do our best to water them with care, but ultimately it is God who makes the seeds grow.
Overall, the tone of the design was inspired by children’s storybook covers because the intention was to focus on child-like faith. We are called to be child-like rather than childish in the sense of trusting and depending on God the Father with our all. Jesus calls His children to come near!
Remembrance Pins
In nicknaming the “Remembrance Pin”, our team found that to treasure the gospel requires us to fight our spiritual amnesia and remember how precious and life-giving the gospel daily. Just as the Israelites constantly forgot their identity as God’s people (Psalm 78), we forget our identity as God’s adopted children. We grumble, prioritize other things before Him, ignore Him, stray away from Him, and forget our promise to love Him. But isn’t God’s love so amazing? He loves without ceasing and welcomes us home with joy without keeping a record of our wrongs. Wow. What an honor it is to be His.
The clear, simple message of the pin is to remember we are children of God. This identity is a ribbon won by Christ. Everyone runs the marathon of life with the goal of some kind of “prize” in the end. That could be achieving financial stability, making family proud, being recognized as successful, just being happy, etc. But for believers, the prize is to be in the presence of God our Father for all of eternity. The good news is that this previously unattainable prize has been given to us through the work of Jesus Christ. He has finished the work, and He is the prize so we can unashamedly boast in Him with this identity of being children of God. “When the race is complete, still my lips shall repeat yet not I but through Christ in me” (“Yet Not I But Through Christ in Me” by CityAlight). Let us always remember and celebrate our identity as His beloved children!
The Remembrance Pin together with the Hidden Treasure Tote makes up our TREASURE line. Together, we hope that you are challenged to remember the gospel everyday and that you can proudly wear your identity as a child of God as you live with eternity in mind. That hole is perfectly filled by Christ’s deliverance, allowing us to boast in the Cross.
Reflection
Thank you for continuing to support YHWH Apparel’s releases. We will always do our best to remind each other of the mission of this team and organization — “A love made known, a call that was heard, and a need that was seen” — so that we can live out the Great Commission to make disciples of all nations. And as we learn and grow as individuals and as a team, we hope to unashamedly live out this identity of being simply children of God everyday.
This semester’s partnership was with Berkeley Food Network, a nonprofit organization with a mission to end hunger in disadvantaged families and individuals in the Berkeley community. Through their own distribution hub and collaborations with Alameda County Community Food Bank, local food businesses, and local farmers, BFN seeks to redesign hunger relief through their food source, recovery, and distribution programs. We felt called to partner with BFN because we recognized the privileges we have in our own community, an easy access to food. However, we aim to understand how embedded social disparities, specifically racial inequities and injustices, create food insecurity. As students of UC-Berkeley, many of us forget to cherish our food, having something on the table to eat whenever we’re hungry. Hunger does not discriminate; it affects everyone. Through our partnership with BFN, we not only hope to bring awareness to food privilege, but volunteer our efforts and time through their distribution events and opportunities.
All glory be to Christ alone,
YHWH Apparel
