Are You an Insider or an Outsider?
Most of us, if given a choice, would much rather be considered an insider rather than an outsider. Insiders are afforded a level of comfort because they find themselves in familiar territory, know what is expected, and how to navigate the situation. Outsiders on the other hand often find themselves disoriented by expectations, unfamiliar with the context, and misunderstanding social cues - all of which cause stress and confusion.
Consider the times you might have travelled overseas and found yourself in a new culture unfamiliar with the social cues, or maybe you visited a different church or denomination and were uncertain about what was expected and how to navigate something as simple as the morning service. Locals were comfortable, knew what to do when, handled all the inherent idiosyncrasies smoothly, and remained poised and calm because they were familiar and comfortable.
Recently LL Bean had a campaign where they encouraged their customers to “Be an Outsider.” Clearly, the suggestion is that people use LL Bean products to go and explore the out of doors. But the promotional phrase caused me to consider anew what it means to be an outsider and whether I was one or should be one.
What are we to do with the verses in the Gospel of John where Jesus states; “If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first”? (John 15:18) Being an outsider should be, to use a golfing term, “par for the course.” In other words, being an outsider should be the norm…what we expect to happen as followers of Jesus. It should not come as some sort of surprise that we are excluded, chastised, experiencing discomfort…etc. In fact, we might even question whether we are truly pursuing the life Jesus has called us to if we are not experiencing these things.
I enjoy the out of doors but to be honest, not so much being an outsider. Discomfort is not something I normally pursue and avoid whenever possible. Yet, maybe it should be something I embrace more readily. Perhaps I should be alert to those times when I feel at ease but know there are others present who are uncomfortable and may see themselves as outsiders. What can I do to put them at ease, familiarize them with the context, ensure that they feel included, and communicate to them that they matter?
Oh…this life as a disciple of Jesus certainly does not come easily, but despite the challenges, being an outsider is worth it. So maybe…Be an Outsider.
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Dan Kreiss, RPC’s new Associate Pastor for Mission Outreach, brings with him a heart for service and a diverse array of experiences in the mission field. Be sure to subscribe to the Mission Outreach Blog to read and follow along as he documents his personal journey and shares his vision for RPC’s mission outreach commitment. Along with providing meaningful resources, this blog will help jumpstart the important conversations our church community must be having about missional living.
Dan Kreiss
Rev. Dr. Dan Kreiss is the Associate Pastor for Mission Outreach at RPC. Dan is particularly passionate about encouraging the church to reflect the diversity found in its surrounding community in regard to age, gender, ethnicity, education and economic status.