Look Beyond the Surface

Since my sophomore year of high school, I have been opposed to labels. Before that, I was your typical Child of the 80's - I was all about Guess jeans, Esprit shirts, and United Colors of Benetton perfume. Unfortunately, my family's income was in the "low income" bracket, so I did not actually own a pair of Guess jeans. I had one Esprit T-shirt that I got as a birthday gift from a family friend. And the perfume? I would wait until I went on a trip to the Twin Cities (about four times a year), go into the Benetton store, and ask for a sample. This would "hold" me until my next trip.

I don't know what happened after that. I am now old enough to be able to say, "Whatever...it was 17 years ago!" I just know that one day, I was into designer jeans and coveting expensive clothes, and then seemingly overnight, I embraced the thrift store grunge look, sporting flannels, baggy T-shirts, and ripped jeans.

At the same time, my brother was fascinated, not by labeling clothing, but by labeling people. As in, "If you wear flannel and jeans, you listen to alternative music, and you are all depressed" or "Wearing baggy pants and bright colors obviously meant you were into the hip-hop scene." I confused him because I didn't dress according to any "label." If I felt like listening to opera, that's what I'd listen to. If I needed some praise & worship music, I'd throw that on. There were days I'd blast my Christian punk (One Bad Pig was one of the coolest bands EVER!), and other days you'd hear "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat" coming out of my room.

And I dressed for the occasion. For church or a speech meet, I dressed up. Everywhere else, I dressed down. I have never really had a real personal "style."

So I guess my eclectic nature has translated into every area of my life. I just refuse to be labeled. I am 32 years old. I was born in 1976. I grew up in the 1980's, and came of age in the 90's, but please do not call me a Generation Xer. I am a female pastor, as well as an actor, director, and writer, but do not call me a liberal. On the other hand, just because I am a Pentecostal Christian, do not presume to know how I stand on every single issue. I am me, and I am more complex than that.

And so is everyone else!

When we pigeonhole each other - when we apply labels and stereotypes to others - we are not building each other up as Christ commanded us to. I was told once that women who are pastors (and whose husbands are not!) do not have our lives in proper order because ALL of them (or, all of us, I guess!) are power-hungry attention seekers who do not submit to authority. In the theatre, I have met more men than I can count who were labeled "gay" because of their love of the arts.

Why can't a woman just plain be called to preach? Why can't a man be called to the arts? Are our human minds really that limited that we cannot be open to all the possibilities - all of the potential that God has created in us? I really don't think that He meant for us to walk around labeling and stereotyping each other.

One of my favorite songs is "The World That He Sees," by the Trans-Siberian Orchestra (and yes, I listen to it sometimes even when it's not the Christmas season!), and it talks about the world that God meant to create - the chorus tells us His dream:

And He dreamed of another world in another time and another place,
Where no man has to wear a sign saying where he's from, saying what's his race.
And He wants us to believe
This world that He sees.

I encourage you to look beyond the surface. Look beyond the label that you see someone wearing, and get to know them. At worst, you'll learn something new.

At best? You'll make a new friend!

Comments

[Susan]

Great thoughts expressed. I am a child of the 60s culture, drug, sex, rock and roll, Jesus Freaks, and all that went with rebellion and anarchy. I too have gone through the dress me up and dress me down, my style is very much like yours. I don't think it has an age, it is a mentality. No labels, no expectations. In other words, just accept me as a creation of the Almighty God who designed all things, and then we can have a discussion.

And what a broad contrast, "Why can't a woman just plain be called to preach? Why can't a man be called to the arts?" That is like night and day (smile)

Keep writing your thoughts!