An Outsider's View

Being an outsider means you're not an insider.  

An insider gets the jokes; an insider gets the trades; an insider is in the know. But there are no outsider jokes--the joke's on them--and they know it. 

I was once an insider, but now I am an outsider.

I did not grow up in Bartow, Cobb, Paulding, or Polk County. Before we started this church re-plant in Cartersville, I had never heard of Euharlee, Taylorsville, Atco or Stilesboro.  I thought Dallas was in Texas and Hiram was something you did when you needed help. Emerson was a 19^th century poet; and the Indian Mounds were found in Cleveland where the Indians play baseball.

But there are some advantages to being an outsider. 

1. An outsider has fewer preconceived ideas about people because they aren't privy to which last names are more important than others and which last names are seen more frequently in the Arrest Log. 

2. An outsider can sometimes see and smell things to which the insider has grown accustomed. 

3. An outsider can get away with saying, "I didn't know!"--and say it with complete integrity:)  

4. An outsider's  perspective can help us see that something is not quite right. An insider will say, "Well, that's just the way it is around here--it's something you'll get used to." Or, "Mr. Smith--he's always been a mean old cuss--you'll learn how to stay out of his way." The outsider can say, "You know, it doesn't have to be that way. There are other viable options."

I don't know how long I'll be an outsider, but I hope that I will be able to maintain the objectivity of an outsider and the courage of an insider. 

If you're an outsider, you're in good company. Jesus was an outsider. Lean into your outsider-ness and see what you can learn.

If you're an insider, you're in good company. Jesus was also an insider who was looking for outsiders so he could invite them in.  As my good friend, mentor, Youth Pastor Emeritus, John Hobbs used to say: "Cliques are OK...as long as everybody has one."