Embrace Our Differences
Yet you, LORD, are our Father. We are the clay, you
are the potter; we are all the work of your hand. – Isaiah 64:8
The tiny rockers were all lined up in a row. They were
the perfect size for a toddler to scoot a diapered bottom into the seat and use
chubby little legs to rock to and fro. They had never seen a rocker just their
size.
Each rocker varied by color and design. One rocker was
shades of blues and sported a sailboat. Another was deep red and had a tiny
brown horse. There were white rockers with flowers and pink rockers with
butterflies. Lots and lots of different combinations.
And then there was the green rocker. Not the pastel
shade you might be thinking. It was vibrant. Acid green, I called it. I was
amazed at the children who gravitated toward it. The color drew them.
The color repelled most of the parents. They were
horrified that a bright green rocker might make its way into their sedate
homes. They immediately encouraged their children to like the white one or the
blue one, even the pink or red one. Just not the bright green rocker.
It was comical. It was sad. The children were barely
walking and already their parents were pushing them to fit into a mold. I
understand matching décor and color combinations – I’m an artist – but I also
understand that God didn’t create us to be like everyone else. We are made in
His image, not the image of those in the world.
We’re uncomfortable with that notion. We gravitate
toward people who are like us. We want to surround ourselves with the
predictable, the boring, the safe. We’re afraid if we try something new it
might bring on disaster and – gulp – change. Most of us really don’t like
change.
We also get caught up in the exterior and miss so much
of what is on the interior. We judge someone with tattoos or someone overweight
or someone who wears a suit every day. We label others and act accordingly. We
give priority to those who have wealth and look down on those struggling to get
by.
Somewhere along life’s path we’ve decided that it’s
better to surround ourselves with people who are like us. We try to train our
children up to follow that path. No, not the green rocker. You can choose any
rocker you like, so long as it fits in with what we think you should have.
When Jesus chose the twelve disciples, He didn’t
choose 12 men who were just alike. What does a fisherman have in common with a
tax collector? So why do we think we must surround ourselves with people just
like us? Why do we believe we must raise our children to fit an exterior mold
we have created? God is the potter, not us.
We could learn so very much if we would just take time
to look beyond the surface and really get to know someone. We could grow so
much more in Christ if we allowed ourselves to love people who don’t always
agree with us. We could become so much more like Jesus if we accepted people as
they are rather than trying to remake them to be like us.
One fortunate child went home with that green rocker.
His parents laughed as he tried to “help” his dad carry the purchase. What a
happy little boy! His parents didn’t try to mold him to be like them. Instead,
they were encouraging him to be who he is. There’s a lesson for all of us in
that.
