Into the Fire

Funny word. Not so funny to be outside of one of them.

Back in “the day”, at my high school there were a few. The most noticeable was “the popular crowd”, probably equivalent to the beautiful people. They could get away with doing things that when others did them, it was considered cheap or whore-ish, but because they were good looking and popular, their behavior was overlooked. A lot of them were the jocks or the cheerleaders, but a few of them were just good looking–or were connected to someone who was.

The saddest place to find cliques is in the body of Christ at church. When people of “position” in the church are somehow elevated and sought after to be in their “crowd”, it defeats the whole outreach thing within and without the church.

Understand I’m not referring to like-minded people being friends and primarily associating with each other because of personality compatibilities and social likes and dislikes. No, on the contrary, we need our friends.

I’ve always been a champion of the underdog, so I’ve especially disliked cliques. In high school I referred to them as the caste system. Any group of people who makes someone else feel less as a person for any reason bugs be big time. Anyone who treats people differently because they haven’t “measured up” to whatever standard that person has established feels wrong. This works both ways, too. If you’re a group of street people who look down on a corporate executive just because he is one, it’s wrong. And vice-versa.

Just something to ponder as we attempt to become, or already are established as, writers. Those in the industry have standards that must be met, but those standards also apply to conduct . . . by all of us.

Father, I don’t ever want to snub my nose at anyone, to consider any individual less than myself in any way, no matter what our differences. I want to hold open my heart to those I face with your grace and humility. Teach me daily to be more like you. You died for us all. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.