Romans 12:16
Bless your enemies; no cursing under your breath. Laugh with your happy friends when they’re happy; share tears when they’re down. Get along with each other; don’t be stuck-up. Make friends with nobodies; don’t be the great somebody.
Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved.
Timothy and I were at the park, and a group of children had shown up to play. Timothy was in heaven to have “friends” to run and climb with – a partner on the see-saw – and someone else to enjoy the swings with him. But when the children all suddenly turned and headed for the merry-go-round, Timothy yelled, “Hey! Wait for me.” Then under his breath, he said something about “idiots.” I stopped him and explained that this was not nice… that we could not call people an ugly name like that. I made sure he understood that this was not acceptable. A few days later, we were watching the Dr. Seuss movie “Horton Hears a Who” on video, and one of the characters stormed into an “office” and said to his “secretary”… “I’m not an idiot! Do I look like an idiot?” In that moment, I knew where my little nephew had learned about “idiots”… and I knew that a lifelong battle with parroting what he sees and hears had begun.
My point is that it’s easy to get caught up in this. We hear people say all sorts of things on television, in the movies, and in our daily living… and unkind things creep into our vocabulary. Innocent children who gleefully play together on a playground with no socio-economic boundaries will soon enough learn that this child’s parents can afford more than that one’s… and that some children wear nicer clothes than others and get to do things that are out of reach for others. Just this week, my cousin texted me a picture of her child’s Valentine’s Day box… a darling hand-made creation. I wondered, “How many children in this little girl’s class will not have a beautiful box for their Valentines? Will they feel like the “great nobody” because of this? It starts early!
So what can we do? Certainly we cannot make fancy Valentine’s boxes for every elementary school child. We can’t take every kid to Disneyworld or make sure that everyone has designer clothing, fancy cars and lives in a big, expensive house. But we can treat others fairly and equally. We can check our language… and even our thoughts… and make sure that we make a concerted effort to get along with everybody. We can teach our children that nobody is better than another person… we can model humility, acceptance of others, and genuine friendship. We can refrain from criticizing or belittling others… even in the privacy of our own homes. We can ask God to help us love others as Jesus loves us… and to accept each of His children as precious in His sight.
We can live in a way that demonstrates our gratitude that Jesus died for Nobodies like each of us… and turned us into Somebodies. We can recognize that not only are we heirs to His throne… but so are all who have given their hearts to Him… and all who will accept Him. My cousin recently lost his 42-year-old wife, Angie, to breast cancer. I can’t tell you how many people commented that Angie loved everybody… and she truly did. Angie didn’t see race, creed or color. She did not care if you were dressed in diamonds and furs… or covered from head to toe in tattoos and piercings. It didn’t matter to her if you smelled like a million bucks… or like you hadn’t showered in days. She really didn’t notice whether you were drop-dead gorgeous – or missing most of your teeth. Angie only cared that you knew Jesus… and everyone who met her knew this. We need more “Angies” in the world. We need to be so busy letting others know how much Jesus loves them – and how much we love them in His name – that nothing else matters.
None of us have the excuse of being three years old any longer. We will continue to watch Dr. Seuss movies at my house… but I will make sure that the children understand that what we see in movies is not always acceptable or proper in our relationships with others. It’s time to take responsibility for our actions… and for our role as Disciples of Christ. We need to be truthful, kind, patient, loving, genuine, and humble. We need to treat others fairly… and to shower them with the same love and acceptance that Jesus offers to us. This won’t be easy for some of us. We’ve been operating according to the world’s standards for a long time now. But we really don’t have a choice. This is what God has called us to do… and truly, nothing else matters. I know that I have work to do in this area… but I’m ready and willing to do whatever it takes. Are you?
©2013 Debbie Robus
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