Thursday, September 16, 2010

Nerd Fight

Seventh grade seemed like a cruel joke played on young teens by school officials who had either blocked out their own memories of these tumultuous years, or perhaps relished the opportunity to get some kicks by watching a new generation squirm their way through puberty.

After many years of denial, I can now freely admit it.

I … I was a nerd.

Many of you who are reading this are now laughing to yourselves, “What does Joe mean he “WAS” a nerd.”

That’s beside the point.

I was a prototypical nerd. Thick framed glasses, an inability to play any sport, all honors classes, listening to oldies, and a wardrobe consisting of slacks and t-shirts. Sears had three size categories for boys: slim, regular, and husky. I was a husky boy.

Spending my off time reading encyclopedias didn’t help much either.

I did my best to look cool to no avail. I started listening to Def Leppard, I asked for a different haircut from our family barber and carried my papers in a Trapper Keeper binder. No one noticed. Wearing a t-shirt that kinda looked like a football jersey over my navy blue slacks (the closest thing to jeans that I owned at the time) only got me branded a “slacker” in the locker room before gym class.

Ah, gym class…

Gym class was where the real disparity between those who were cool and those who were not became apparent. Yes, yes, we all wore the same hideous gym uniforms, but confidence is something that transcends clothing.

It was at gym where I first got to know “Donald”, or should I say, tried NOT TO get to know Donald. Donald was a fellow nerd; cut from the same nerd fabric as myself. The only real difference between the two of us was that he wore braces and clunky orthopedic boots.

Deep down inside, I knew he reminded myself of … me. And I despised him for it.
So naturally, I took every opportunity to join in piling on the insults. I took guilty pleasure in being part of the crowd; finding safety in being counted among the aggressors.

One day he finally had enough and called me out on it. Since we were in no shape at all to deal physical blows with each other, we decided on a war of insults the next day. Each of us would have a coach and an impartial judge would decide the winner.

The next twenty-four hours, word spread about the “nerd fight”.

We met again the next day at gym class and walked across the Phys-Ed field to a secluded dugout by a softball diamond.

There were no winners that day. The person who penned, “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but names will never hurt me,” never experienced seventh grade gym class.

All we learned was to verbally kick and claw each other to the point where our already low self-esteem sank to new depths.

Why do we delight in attacking those who remind us of what we don’t like about ourselves? Why do we repay evil for evil, blow for blow and insult for insult?

This is not how we were created to live.

Who needs to hear encouragement from us? When do we need to hold our tongues and stay silent? How can this week be different for us and (consequentially) those around us?

Joe

Related Verses
Proverbs 18:7-8 (NIV)

A fool's mouth is his undoing, and his lips are a snare to his soul. The words of a gossip are like choice morsels; they go down to a man's inmost parts.

James 3
Dear brothers and sisters, not many of you should become teachers in the church, for we who teach will be judged more strictly. Indeed, we all make many mistakes. For if we could control our tongues, we would be perfect and could also control ourselves in every other way.

We can make a large horse go wherever we want by means of a small bit in its mouth. And a small rudder makes a huge ship turn wherever the pilot chooses to go, even though the winds are strong. In the same way, the tongue is a small thing that makes grand speeches.

But a tiny spark can set a great forest on fire. And the tongue is a flame of fire. It is a whole world of wickedness, corrupting your entire body. It can set your whole life on fire, for it is set on fire by hell itself.

People can tame all kinds of animals, birds, reptiles, and fish, but no one can tame the tongue. It is restless and evil, full of deadly poison. Sometimes it praises our Lord and Father, and sometimes it curses those who have been made in the image of God. And so blessing and cursing come pouring out of the same mouth. Surely, my brothers and sisters, this is not right! Does a spring of water bubble out with both fresh water and bitter water? Does a fig tree produce olives, or a grapevine produce figs? No, and you can’t draw fresh water from a salty spring.

If you are wise and understand God’s ways, prove it by living an honorable life, doing good works with the humility that comes from wisdom. But if you are bitterly jealous and there is selfish ambition in your heart, don’t cover up the truth with boasting and lying. For jealousy and selfishness are not God’s kind of wisdom. Such things are earthly, unspiritual, and demonic. For wherever there is jealousy and selfish ambition, there you will find disorder and evil of every kind.

But the wisdom from above is first of all pure. It is also peace loving, gentle at all times, and willing to yield to others. It is full of mercy and good deeds. It shows no favoritism and is always sincere. And those who are peacemakers will plant seeds of peace and reap a harvest of righteousness.

NLTse

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