Divine Miss M comments on “The Swan” at See Life Differently. She told me a while back about the show and her disgust (which I shared, after hearing the story). She takes a different approach in her post, but I thought I’d comment on the same subject.
The Madre and I were talking last Sunday about something - most likely it was about our church. We love our local church. Literally love the people in it so much. One of the things that we love (and laugh a bit) about is that everyone there is crazy. Crazy in a good way, but I sometimes think that the 350 of most creatively quirky people on earth go to our church.
I raise my hand in complete knowledge and am proud to say that I, too, am part of that crowd, and as such, can be described along with them.
And it’s the quirks and strangeness of my brothers and sisters that we have grown to love. A good word to use would be their “uniqueness” (which, in fact, IS a word, according to Dictionary.com).
In visiting other churches as of late, what really has struck home is how our church is SO not the “popular crowd” of Christianity. I feel like we are the ones that are on the outside of the crowd with our face in a huge book, looking up every now and again at the “good kid crowd” who don’t drink or smoke or do drugs, but are fairly bland. And the fairly bland look at us with consternation, thinking that if we’d only do a bit of this or try to fit in “we could win so many for Christ!” If they’re the popular crowd, we’re the Misfits in Rudolph the Red nosed Reindeer (ha! And are we EVER! and being just fine with it, too.)
But what they miss is the ministry to the little kid in the corner, suffering so palpably that it shows on his face and in every action.
Ok, so how does this tie together with “The Swan”? Well, I’m not sure it exactly does, but it kinda does. The final thing Madre and I discussed is that The Swan is so emblematic of the world and it’s theology: “Hey! You’re unhappy? Well, we’ll make you LOOK better and then you’ll FEEL better. If you only have popularity, you’ll be fine. And you can be unique, too. As long as by unique you mean, “Look exactly the same.”
Isn’t it interesting that in trying to fit in, be well-thought-of, even “win others for Christ,” we assume the philosophy that we have to look exactly the same?
And isn’t it more interesting how God within his good plan made us so thoroughly unique, down to our very fingertips?
1 comment:
Very insightful, Ainsley. "The Swan" gives me the creeps. And you're right -- they're trying to put everyone in the same mold. Churches are often guilty of the same.
And as to your comment:“Hey! You’re unhappy? Well, we’ll make you LOOK better and then you’ll FEEL better."
You're exactly right! And Jesus taught that it was what was inside our hearts that counted! The world doesn't see it that way, and sadly, we Christians often miss it, too.
You're a smart girl, by the way!
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