The School of "The Other"

“…God didn’t hesitate to put everything on the line for us, embracing our condition and exposing himself to the worst by sending his own Son…” Rom 8:32 MSG

“Isn’t it obvious that God deliberately chose men and women that the culture overlooks and exploits and abuses, chose these “nobodies” to expose the hollow pretentions of the “somebodies”? 1 Cor 1:27 MSG

When something is exposed, it is:  made visible by uncovering - left uncovered, unprotected, vulnerable - or, it can reveal the true (and often not pretty) nature of something.

In light of this, after reading 1 Corinthians 1:27 recently, I understood it in a new light.  While I do think that Paul is talking about us being the “nobodies” (to keep us humble), which he started out saying “not influential” or “of noble birth” then went even further with the “nobody” word to really hammer in his point.  I am now starting to think that this verse can also mean that when we view someone as a “nobody”, that just may be our cue to start listening to them as our teachers.  Could it be saying that those who the current culture overlooks, exploits, or abuses are the very ones that we need in our lives to expose something that needs uncovering in us?  If we think we are actually the “somebodies”, then, according to this verse, that would be the case.  If you think of yourself in the humble posture of a "nobody", you are probably safe here, but if not, maybe we should take that as a nudge to go befriend someone who society pushes to the edges and see what they can unveil in us.


I have had several opportunities to be “schooled” in this way.  A black girlfriend of mine who was experiencing homelessness stayed in my home for a couple of weeks with her kids.  The school of selflessness came to me as she continually shared her food with her kids (something I never do because I want my food to myself), and did her daughter’s hair at midnight after returning from an eight-hour shift on top of a three hour round trip commute (I would have been passed out).  The school of patience and humility came when I was irritated with the traffic, and rushed to get to church, while she was calm, cool, and collective.  It revealed the pride in me that thinks I am the one with important things to get done - now!  I was schooled in kindness as my friend who is a gay man in prison called to check up on me, because he thought I may be lonely since I was without my kids for a few days.  I was schooled in true joy as I witnessed women in Uganda who spent their days caring for orphans, first loving Jesus without inhibition, then pouring out their hearts towards these kids (who, to me, happened to be unlovable at times).   I was schooled in endurance as I watched local staff at Sole Hope tenderly removing jiggers from people's feet while they patiently endured this pain for up to two hours!


Enter Romans 8:32.  If we are to be like our heavenly Father, who exposed Himself to the worst (some versions say "gave himself up for") by embracing us, then are we not to do the same.  Who is God asking you to embrace?  Someone who society may think is not worthy?  Someone whom you may think is dangerous, or risky, or unkempt?  According to this verse, that is imitating God.  And He uses it as our school if (when) we think that we are actually the “somebodies”.

Risking relationships with those who are unlike us makes us more like God, and brings things to light in ourselves that never would have been exposed without them.  

So after our "stuff" gets exposed, what next?  When David danced half naked before the Lord, he was not showing off his flawless physique.  He, like the women in Uganda, just wanted to celebrate God and embraced who he was because he knew he was embraced.  And, Mary of Bethany, when she anointed Jesus’ feet by letting down her hair, knew deeply that He knew everything about her yet loved her anyway.  I think this is the key to living freely:  Let others teach us about ourselves by loving them without judgment, seeing that we are really the same, then dance knowing that even fully exposed, we are loved!  And slowly, during the dance, the impatience and selfishness and whatever else surfaces, actually start to fall away.