I have an extremely vivid memory of my 7th grade year. I don't remember much about school...but I remember the basketball team. As hard as it may be for you to believe for those of you who know me, I was not very popular at all. (Ok, so maybe that's actually pretty easy for you to accept!) For whatever reason, the 8th graders on the team decided pretty unanimously that they hated me and wanted nothing to do with me. I've actually got several memories from that period, but the one that I'm thinking about was actually in a game when the coach put subbed me in for one of the 8th graders. As I jogged onto the court in all of my 7th grade confidence as an outcast, the 4 other 8th graders got together in a huddle just within earshot and I heard one of them saying, "just don't pass him the ball."
Now that may seem rather trivial to you, but to me, it was a rather defining moment and one that I can still picture in detail almost twenty years later. Needless to say I didn't perform very well when I played that night or any other as long as I was playing with guys who wanted nothing to do with me. I was constantly too nervous and scared of making a mistake that would justify their dislike of me to settle down and play. In fact, it wasn't until I switched schools after my 9th grade year and moved somewhere that no one knew me that I was finally able to enjoy going to practice and playing in games...and I loved basketball!
I have no idea what was going through Paul's mind after his conversion when he tried to join the disciples. I very seriously doubt that he felt the same insecurities and emotions that I did. And I fully recognize the difference in the importance of the two different stories. But what I do know is that I am so thankful for Barnabas who wrapped his arm around Paul's shoulders and vouched for him with the rest of the church.
I can't tell you how many times I beg students in my youth group to look for outcasts and include them in their circles of friends. In fact, I was just asked to encourage some students to be intentional about including someone by another one of our members. But you know, the truth is that people are rejected by the other disciples across all spectrums of the church! Just look around your auditorium the next time you are there. I guarantee you will see someone who feels horribly out of place because of how they are dressed. You will see someone who feels completely isolated because of their past sin that they feel is plastered on their clothing like a scarlet letter. You will see someone who is just so socially awkward that they can't figure out how to introduce themselves to anyone so the arrive late or just on time, they sit alone in the back of the auditorium, and they leave as soon as the final amen is said.
Look. And you will see them. That is, you will see them if they haven't already left the church quietly for the last time. They may not be performing very well, but that is likely because they have never experienced someone who believes in them. So they show up and they do their best, scared to death that they will make a mistake that will justify the others' rejection of them. In fact, they may never perform well until they finally "switch teams." And that might be in spite of the fact that they actually do truly and deeply love God and His church.
Whether the situation is due to someone's past or someone's personality, I wonder how many people slip silently in and out of our groups of disciples never making an impact as Paul did because no disciple ever vouches for them as Barnabas did.
Who will you put your arm around today? You may not be able to catch them before they dart out, so you will have to be intentional. You might need to call them to invite them to lunch or dinner with a group of friends. But will you be a Barnabas- a Son of Encouragement- for someone? Just imagine how the kingdom of God would grow if even half of a congregation was filled with people who were bound and determined to never let someone be rejected by the disciples they were trying to join!
No comments:
Post a Comment