Peeling Labels Off

Maybe I’ve had too much coffee this morning, or maybe I’m just ready to speak about this. I sat by during the whole Chick Fil A thing. I read the posts.  I had my inner thoughts and dialogue silently.  And now I read the Duck Dynasty stuff.  Is anyone else sick of this?  Obviously I am not the only one voicing my opinion through social media, and adding my thoughts may just continue the monotony of finger-pointing and fist shaking.  But I’d like to offer something a little different here – hopefully. 

To cope with all my anxiety about this topic, I found myself in my kitchen peeling the labels off empty jars, so I could re-use them for another purpose.  Do you ever do that?  Get all worked up and then go clean your house, shop online, or scan facebook?  Yeah, so I got this little blade out and went to town on some jars.  It felt good. And then it hit me…

What if we peel the labels off?  Peel them off Christians.  Peel them off homosexuals.  Peel them off anyone who is “different” from us? The reality is this world is made up of different types of people, and we are NEVER going to all agree.  It’s just the way it is. Regardless, labeling any person and refusing to know them as they really are is just sad.  What if we peel the labels off and re-purpose our differences for the greater good? Oh, here I go, with my talk of love, equality, holding hands and singing "Kum Ba Yah" (is that how you spell it?).  But I just can’t help myself.  And the coffee has me all jittery now, so I gotta get this out somewhere. 

Do you know someone who is gay?  Have you asked him or her about themselves? Do you know what kind of life they have had? Do you know they have possibly thought of hurting or killing themselves because of the shame and rejection they often face? Do you know what it is like to love another person of the same gender – to not feel like there is any “choice” in that, but still have others wave their Bible at you in disgrace?  Can you imagine the hurt?  If you do not know someone who is gay, then it is so much easier to stand on the position of “those people” and “their decisions” as if they are all the same and have no moral compass.  Some of the dearest people I know are gay. They have partners, children, and lives of honesty and respect.  They even love Jesus too.  Yes, it’s true.  I invite you to consider peeling the label off them and get to know them individually.

Do you know someone who is a Christian?  Have you asked him or her about themselves?  Do you know what kind of life they have had? Do you know some of them think of hurting or killing themselves because of the shame and rejection they often face?  Do you know what it is like to love and seek to follow God – to not feel like there is any “choice” in that, but still have others wave their “intolerance” flags in your face and say you are excluding them? Can you imagine the hurt? If you do not know a Christian, then it is much easier to stand on the position of “those people” as if they are all the same and have no compassion for others.  I am a Christian.  I love you.  Jesus loves you.  I invite you to peel the label off Christians and get to know them individually.  

Interesting, huh, how I just basically wrote the same paragraph twice? And I could put a blank line and write “insert here” for you to add any other type of “different” person.  We’re really not all that different when you break it down.  We all hurt.  We all feel shame. We all get angry.  WE ALL FEEL.  And often when we feel those things, it seems easier to point fingers and get all up in arms on one side or another to defend our causes or beliefs.  Please, consider putting your weapons down.  What if you tried to get to know just one person different from you – to see them with compassion and love? Grace is for all of us.