Pretty
Gay
Straight
Black
White
Politician
Migrant
Intelligent
Blonde
These are all examples of labels that we stick to one another, usually before we even have a conversation. They are based on what we see and what we believe to be true. Labels can be positive or negative. The problem with labels is that once we label a person we have attached an assumption to them, and may or may not choose to actually get to know them based on that assumption.
Sticking a label on a person de-humanizes them. It causes us to view them as something OTHER than a human being. Every human has a story. Every story is important.
Sunday evening, during chapel we asked the girls to write labels on stickies and place them on my jacket. At the end I took off the jacket full of labels and placed it at the cross. Jesus not only CHOSE to interact with those who are labelled, but he was often labelled himself. His death frees us of our labels. Ones that others give to us and ones we give ourselves. What struck me the most about this activity wasn't the fact that I was being labelled, but that one girl actually apologized as she stuck the label onto my jacket. She was the only one who said anything remorseful.
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| Some labels |
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| more labels |
Her reaction stuck with me throughout the evening. What if we ALL apologized when we labelled people? Or better yet, what if we consciously chose NOT to label others? What if we actually LISTENED to the stories of people around us and made an effort to help them?
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| personal commitment |
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| Prayer |
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