Most of us have a group of people who we are close to or we identify with. We might have similar beliefs, personalities, or socioeconomic statuses. We find it easy to talk to them and feel comfortable around them. Then, there are the outsiders.
The outsiders don’t fit in with our culture or belief system. We don’t understand them and they can make us uncomfortable, irritate us, and make us want to avoid them. The outsider may be of a different race or culture, a different sexual orientation, or just not fit in with our personality.
I think we all feel like an outsider at some point in our life. I have been an outsider for much of my life and I have grown to accept the status. I was never the cool kid, but the quiet awkward kid in the background. I was a little nerdy and my interests didn’t usually follow with the interests of my peers. Just try being the guy who doesn’t drink and is often in a group who wants to go out to a bar.
Our faith can make us an outsider as well. Speaking out against many things that are presented by society as the norm can make us the odd one out. Just saying we go to church or even talking about our faith can make people uncomfortable. We don’t like to go against the majority, even when we know we are right. One time when I went to church, everyone forgot to stand up at the proper time. I knew I should be standing, but I didn’t want to be the only one standing up, so I waited for someone else to make the first move. How many of us have been in a group that was gossiping or talking bad about someone else? We might not want to be the outsider and speak out against the group in fear they will turn on us.
We also have a tendency to sometimes get upset or jealous when others whom we deem lesser than us get something good or do things that we don’t think they are worthy to do. Even the Apostles got upset when others were driving out demons in Jesus’ name. In the Gospel for this week, the Jews from Jesus’ hometown are upset with Jesus because He was talking about the many Gentiles who had been healed in Capernaum. The Jews wanted the same miracles to happen to them. Jesus doesn’t discriminate based on culture or belief, but offers healing to everyone. Any parent with more than one kid understands that when one of the kids gets something good, the other child wants the same thing and sometimes more of it.
Right after loving God with all of our heart, is the command to love one another as ourselves. God didn’t say, love only our friends or those who are easy to love. If something good happens to someone else, we should be happy for them if we love them as ourselves. We don’t talk bad about ourselves, so let’s not do it to others. One of the great pieces of wisdom passed on from many parents is that if you don’t have something nice to say, don’t say anything at all. Let the juicy gossip that we hear die within us without repeating it. Go to that awkward guy or girl in the background and bring them in to the group. That person will most definitely enrich our lives in one way or another and we will grow closer to finding the greatest outsider of all — Jesus.
