1 John 4:20
I was in Starbucks the other day on my lunch break eating Greek yogurt and reading "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer" when I couldn't help but overhear bits of a conversation nearby. Two young women were sitting near me wearing scrubs and talking about some co-worker of theirs.
"I hate her." One of the women said.
"I know everyone does." answered the other.
"No, but I mean it, I really actually hate her."
It made my stomach turn. Here where two friendly looking women, people who seemed like I could be friends with, talking about how much they hate someone!
It made me think back to when I worked at a portrait studio that specialized in team pictures. Mostly high school drill teams and cheerleaders. I had fun with these groups because the girls always love getting their pictures taken. It was the mothers that were the problem. They were viscous, standing around talking about young girls on the opposing teams (or sometimes even their daughter's team).
"She is an ugly little skank." I heard one mother say about the 15 year old daughter of a "friend". I couldn't believe I was hearing these kinds of things.
My next thought is the Facebook page of a young friend of mine. She is only about 14 and I was shocked at the language I saw on her Facebook the other day. It started with a status update calling out a boy who was mean to her and using names. Then came a 40 plus comment conversation between her and some schoolmates using language I never hear; all calling each other awful things, lashing out in anger and taking sides.
The problem to me with this kind of fierce language and emotions is that people mean it!
People are so angry all the time. Driving down the road people get angry. Misunderstanding at work and people get angry. Standing in a long line at the store people get angry. So much anger, so little compassion!
Do we ever stop to think about what kind of day that person driving so slowly is having? What about that hated co-worker of the Starbucks girls? What if everyone really does hate her? What kind of life does that mean she has? What about the 15 year old drill team member who is already being mercilessly labeled by grownups? Or the poor kid who reads those hurtful comments on Facebook and then shuts herself up in the bathroom to cry?
Where is the mercy? Where is the love? Living in the "Bible Belt" most people aren't going to go through their everyday routine without having contact with at least one "Christian", but do they know us by our love?
People are in desperate need of love. They aren’t always getting it from their family or friends and others in their life may be making it worse. When are we as Christians going to stop judging and gossiping and labeling? Maybe it is time to tell people that God loves them and then show them it is true with our actions.
Below is a little video I made after working on some student surveys at work. Hope it makes you stop and think, like it did for me.
