"Hello my Name is...

A few weeks ago, I read about a little boy who walked in to Sunday School every Sunday with a name tag taped to the middle of his chest, one of those that read, “HELLO, My Name is…”  Every Sunday the sticker said the same thing in bold black marker, “HELLO, My Name is I HAVE A NUT ALLERGY.”   The boy’s parents wanted to make sure everyone was aware of the special situation of this child.  (Weavings, XXIII, Number 4, page 21) 

After I read this story, I tried out an exercise in our church staff meeting.  I asked everyone to think about what they would write on their name tags if they were walking in to a new situation and wanted peole to know something important about whom they were.  We had a great discussion as we tried to think what phrase would appear on our name tags.  “HELLO! My name is….I am sadder than I look.”  “HELLO! My name is… I’m not as self confident as you think I am.”  We learned a great deal about each other from this simple little exercise.

 What would your name tag say?  “HELLO! My name is….handle with care!”  “HELLO! My name is….don’t rush me!”  I’m guessing each one of us would have some unique phrases.  We would want people to appreciate our uniqueness.

 When I went through that exercise with the staff, I was amazed at the many different answers. Then it struck me how quickly I often put labels on others without getting to know them or even listening to them. One man I saw regularly in our neighborhood I had labeled “crabby homeless man.” That name tag summed him up in my mind. Then one day, I went up to him and introduced myself.  I   found out his name was James, he’d spent time in jail and his 80 year old dad was dying in Ontario. This man whom I had reduced to a one-line label was now a real person. What name tags do you put on others?   “Gang Banger,” “Arrogant”, “Liberal”, “Conservative”…..  When we mentally put labels on other people, we reduce them to one dimension. Then it is so much easier         to “handle” or dismiss them. 

One of the reasons God calls Christians into community is so that we can learn how to appreciate the great diversity in the human family. It is easy to get along with, respect, and appreciate people who think and believe just like we do. But when we encounter people whose opinions and positions differ from ours we are tempted to reach for the label maker, slap a name on them, and dismiss them.  But in a Christian congregation Christ calls us to listen to, care for and love the ‘other’.  We are called to encourage them to tell us who they are, what they need, how they are thinking. 

As I sit on the new Life Center patio for our “Backyard Conversations” on the Wednesday evenings in July, I am reminded over and over again that Messiah is a wonderfully diverse congregation. We are blessed to have passionate Christians who cannot be summed up by simple labels, people who think, and ponder, and listen to each other. I encourage you to recognize how amazing that gift is, and give thanks to God for this great diversity. 

 Pastor Ron