Marginalized?
I am not sure how long this term has been use to describe people but it is a term I have heard several times lately. It seems to be used when describing a group with in a social group. Like gays or the poor in a community somehow it seems less judgmental I guess. I did not know I had friends that were marginalized, what does that make me? As I see it we all walk the same streets and breathe the same air have choices and consequences.
Could marginalizing be a form of self defense or denial? I better watch my questions or some could start to place me on some shelf with a label. I am not trying to get on some social agenda in this update I promise, I simply wonder how long it will be until we see we are all in the same life boat and it is getting hard to figure out which group to sit with.
While talking with one of my friends this week she brought up a fear she carries around. Her fear it seems came from feeling like a project for programs. What she means is while working with groups in the past that helped her get off the street; was a great thing for her, it is still a scary memory for her. Her fear comes because very soon after she was off the street she lost all contact with them and felt they “must have finished their part with her."
She soon began having difficult situations but realized she now had no support base to rely on. Her feelings of abandonment now completely went back to the group that had been her support while getting off the street. While I do not think any of these groups meant to hurt her it seems they simply got to busy or felt they had a “success”. As we talked I assured her that we would always be there for her that friends do not just go away and in no way was she just a project I was working on. I realized how empty these words probably sounded. She took them in and said she appreciated what was being done to help. I immediately thought about the word marginalized.
What do you do when you find yourself on the outside of a group and someone helps you not get pushed completely away and then dumps you back on the margin? You instantly find yourself right back were you started. That would be scary. Jesus helps me see a solution to this fear. The group of marginalized friends he had seemed to have the same fear when hearing of his leaving and he told them:
John 14:16-20
16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever— 17 the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be] in you. 18 I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. 19 Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. 20 On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you.
I will not orphan you, how incredible is that? Can we begin to realize these are the words all of our friends need, these are the actions all people require not only my friend but every person you know. If we could continually demonstrate this among the people we know we could dramatically change our world. Today please surrender yourself to gathering sheep that are marginalized. Hold them near Jesus and love them right in the middle of your heart.
Comments
Hey man, looks like you've really thought some of these issues through, and I really like your perspective. Thanks for commenting on my blog, sorry its taken ages to get back to ya-forgot to check my comments for a while.
Will get onto it asap. And will come back and read your blog in the meantime.
Posted by: Digger | February 13, 2006 05:05 AM