One of the yuckiest things in life is encountering a snob. You would think that once high school is over, it's over? Right. But for some people not so much. There are lots of times I'm grateful for my background and my childhood, but in encountering these kinds of people it's when I'm the most grateful. Not because of the cultural and language gifts that I acquired, but because of the diversity of people I was exposed to. I was the only white girl in my graduating class. My friends were from Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Bolivia, Finland, Sweden, Spain and India. And hey, I'm just gonna be honest. I wasn't the least popular girl in high school, but I wasn't the most. Somewhere square in the middle. And that's kinda where I like it even now.
Earlier this week I had the opportunity to have dinner with a new friend from out of town who has been mercilessly gossiped about and cast out of cliques in her church and in her neighborhood. We are always going to connect more with some people than others, and sometimes personalities clash. But this is not what this is. This is just straight up adult women who still have a high school mentality. Hey guess what, no one cares if your hair is that cute. If your friends are that pretty. Or if you are that important. Or if your kid is a genius. No one. Being that kind of person makes you a fool and an immature Christian, if you are one. Choosing friendships on the basis of that kind of criteria is so narrow. People like that have a stunted life experience.
As I listened to my new friend pour out her loneliness and hurt, I thought about the other people I've encountered like that. Some of whom I go to church with. Yup. And I thought what a sad state of affairs we are in. The Body of Christ is sick when we choose friendships based on the right group to be seen with. And then I thought about the ways the Body is functioning in a well and healthy way in the same church and invited her to hang out with some of those women. Worth comes from within. Value and friendship is found in loving with an open heart and mind.
Life is no Nintendo game, choose wisely.
1 comment:
i have been so behind on my blog reading! So I will comment on a few things...I want to give out lots of love and chocolate ;) and this post is especially good. For some reason, i thought once high school was done..everyone grew and no one was really intentionally cruel. Sigh..to me being naive. BUT to go against the culture of popularity and embrace people...well it ends up being golden. I have found some precious people in place I may not have looked....
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