The Look

most of my life i have had the pleasure to live outside the camp. not a complete outlaw, but had had outlaw tendencies. my perspective has been tainted by years of drug abuse, followed by even more indulgent waves of grace.

i get to meet people all over the country, because of what i have been allowed to be part of. kids, teens, college, adults, old folks. all kinds of people remind me regularly that God is so outrageous with his love. we are all so different, so crazy, so independent, so dependent, so in need.

the edgy folks have had most of my attention through the years. with student ministry the skaters caught my eye. rebellious, anti authority, not accepted, always being told to leave. Tattoos, piercings, what ever. the expressions of people amaze me.

so i met this guy the other day. old school guy. been around a long time, loyal, faithful, old school.

he asked me what i did. i tried to make a joke, he did not find it funny, then told him of the plan to reach bikers through the church...using http://primalfaith.net a curriculum we are trying to develop. I told him the status has left these folks out of the conversation. as i finished my sentence, he looked at me, then turned away.

did i just get the look? i asked my self...the look of disdain from a fellow laborer? i felt so disrespected. it took me by surprise, off guard.

i laughed it off. then, realized how selective we really are as a faith community.

funny. i got the look when i was a junkie, a thief, and outside the faith community. i got it because most folks did not bother to look past that. natural response actually. people like that scare us.

but when those kinds of people...junkies, tattooed folks, rough, raw, junkies find Christ, the look is supposed to disappear...should have never been there actually, right?

the look just made me realize how important it is that i remember all people are made in his image. all people need Christ's love. all people are in need of a saviour. like me.

glad Jesus looked at me. and this guy reminded me of it.