It is necessary and beneficial every once in a while to make the sometimes very concerted effort to see things from a different point of view; to see something other than our own familiar surroundings as an insider rather than an outsider. In every culture, in every city and town and house, there are things you can’t see and appreciate without being a part of it and living it. Some things the outsider can get a hint of, but others are totally inexplicable or hidden except from an insider point of view.
The person born into a specific place or culture or situation is naturally an insider to that circle and an outsider to others, but these boundaries can be crossed: we can become naturalized insiders to another locale and set of circumstances. And I believe the greatest ministry and the greatest living happens when we experience that exhilaration that comes with the first true and deep discovery.
But we don’t becomes insiders simply by virtue of being present somewhere. It doesn’t rub off, but it needs to be sought and cultivated. One can attend a church on Sunday mornings for years and never enter into the organization fully, if a person doesn’t want to do so. And a person can live in a city for years, conceivably, and never feel a part of it — never know its secrets and its surprises. Again, it needs to be sought out.
For example, it may be easy (I say this out of a bias based on the fact that I am a Metro Vancouver native) to see why people like Vancouver, BC: mild climate, mountains and oceans readily accessible, high standard of living, etc. Other places might not look as if they have as much going for them — they are smaller, suffering perhaps because one of their main economies or employers has pulled out or gone under, there may be harsh weather. But what is the true story of that place to those who live there — maybe even were born there — and know it as well as they know their very selves? What are the stories of relationships to the people, places, buildings, and even the land itself that bind these communities together. The same could be said for any particular culture — what makes that culture unique and precious to those who circulate within it?
Even larger cities, populated by some many small and individual stories, have a collective story that those new to the city or just passing through cannot even begin to imagine; and these shape people, places, and communities in such a way that is impossible to understand their true character without these things.
This, I think, is the unique power of the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. He never desired or intended to be an ‘outsider’ forever — it was never an ‘us’ (deity) and ‘them’ (people) deal. Instead, he came to us and experienced life from our side of the fence. He lived (and lives still) and suffered with us and got to know us. He wanted to understand the world from the inside out, though he created it all.
In immitation of Christ, then, we should relish the chance to become ‘insiders’ whenever and wherever possible. Have a teachable spirit, listen to the people, assume nothing, ask as many questions as you can think to ask. Don’t be afraid to delve deeply into the place or culture where you are in order to understand it better and thus understand how you can live more fully there, cherish it more fully, and impact people for Jesus. Wherever you go, strive to be an ‘insider.’ Look at things from a different point of view.
Tags: Gospel, Incarnation, insider, Jesus, outsider, point of view
