It was a rather unusual T-Shirt. It showed a picture of a brownish-red dog with the caption “No White Dogs in PEI!”

We had just crossed the Confederation Bridge from New Brunswick to Prince Edward Island, and had stopped to use the washroom and briefly visit the shops at the foot of the bridge when we saw this unique shirt. What on earth could it mean???

“Maybe no white dogs are allowed on the island,” I wondered out loud.

“No, I don’t think so,” stated one of my boys. “I think white dogs turn dirt red in PEI! Look at that ad about t-shirts!”

“Oh, they’re just trying to sell their shirts!” I sputtered.

To give you a little background, Prince Edward Island is renowned for its potatoes and its red dirt. You can’t drive through the province without noticing the numerous potato fields with the dark green foliage contrasting delightfully with the red soil. The numerous dirt roads across the province are the same color as the fields, and even the beaches are covered with red sand.

We were told that the soil has a high iron content which gives it this unique color. Whatever the reason, tourists fall in love with this unusual dirt. I encountered a teenager the other day using a spoon to scrape some of that colorful substance off of the dirt road that ran through the campground. She spent nearly an hour retrieving 1/8 of a cup. And I have to confess that I took a Ziploc bag down to the beach and carried home a sample as well!

But did this reddish dirt REALLY taint the colors of other objects? After all, we had visited PEI a couple of years earlier, and we hadn’t gone home with any red stains! It is true that we only stayed two days that time, and we primarily remained in the major tourist attractions . . . But “No White Dogs in PEI”???

The next day we were strolling through the streets of Charlottetown when we happened to pass by a “Dirt-Shirt” store. It particularly caught our attention because of the display by the front entrance. A washing machine filled with water and PEI red dirt sat on the sidewalk. All of the laundry in it had turned the same color as the dirt. Red watermarks ran down into the streets and a once-white shirt, now covered with red dirt stains, was hanging over the open machine. In another shop, we again saw the “No White Dogs in PEI” shirts.

It seemed that these commercials were having their desired result, because my oldest son wanted to buy a “No White Dogs” shirt, and he’s been proudly walking around in it ever since. (It’s true that we have to machine-wash it on regular intervals, but we try to avoid washing machines that have turned dirt red!) I still wasn’t convinced however, that there was anything to all of these advertisements! “Just another way to make a buck!” I muttered as I paid for the shirt.

It only took three days on this delightful island to make me admit that maybe there WAS some merit to the ads. After an entire week, I was a convert with no doubt left in my mind that this red soil could indeed have a huge impact on other colors! Our white tent-trailer mysteriously transformed into a dirt reddish tent-trailer. Even our bright golden van changed colors on us and became a … uhhh . . . I better not insult my van. The black tires on all of the vehicles could soon no longer be distinguished from the color of the many dirt roads, and even our clothing inexplicably transformed (could it have anything to do with the fact that the boys were purposefully running around outside in white socks?). Washing was helpful, but these spots mysteriously reappeared as soon as they were washed away!

On the east side of the island, we encountered heavy rain. Surely this would wash us clean! But it didn’t. Instead, it turned the red dirt roads into red mud roads, and the red marks increased. When we reached the Northwesterly shores of the island, we were met with heavy winds. Maybe the heavy shaking that we received would “blow away” our stains! Again, the reddish color continued to taint all of our belongings. Would we EVER be free of that red dirt???

Doesn’t this red PEI dirt remind you of sin? At first it may look so attractive. Everyone is enjoying the sinful activity, how could it be wrong? Surely following its alluring invitation could do no harm! Why not have some fun. After all, we were born to be free, weren’t we? We have the choice to do whatever we want!

Soon, however, we discover that sin clings to us. It penetrates every thought pattern, and too late, we realize that we are addicted to it. No matter how hard we try to shake it off, it clings to us. The book of Psalms depicts sin as an intimate addictive relationship that ends up with a “Lie-Baby”: “Look at that guy! He had sex with sin, he’s pregnant with evil. Oh, look! He’s having the baby – a Lie-Baby!” (Ps 7:14 The Message)

Sin is addictive! It is contagious! It affects our whole inner being and even those around us! “You make plans, but not mine. You make deals, but not in my Spirit. You pile sin on sin, one sin on top of another.” (Isa 30:1 The Message)

We cry out for help and unsuccessfully try to free ourselves from its grip. No help seems to be available, however, unless we look to Jesus Christ, the only One who made it possible for us to be forgiven. It’s only by coming to Him for help that we can be delivered from the red stains of our sin. “Then I let it all out; I said, ‘I’ll make a clean breast of my failures to GOD.’ Suddenly the pressure was gone – my guilt dissolved, my sin disappeared.” (Ps 32:5 The Message) “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool.” (Isa 1:18 NIV)

Only through Him will our filth turn into a delightful fragrance attracting others to the One who can really free them. “But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of him. For we are to God the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing.” (2 Cor 2:14-16 NIV)

“Is red dirt really all that bad?” Come to PEI and find it out for yourself!

Rob Chaffart