PCA Freedom and Outcasts A Closer Look at

PCA: Freedom and Outcasts A Closer Look at Understanding One’s Calling By Neil Haefli

We come upon a conversation between two PCA students: Hey, can we talk? Sure! What’s up? I’ve been a little confused lately. Sometimes I feel like some of the other kids at school think I’m weird, and I don’t know if they really like me. Well what makes you think that?

I dunno. I guess I sort of have a tendency to feel inferior to others because I don’t really fit in. After all, it IS high school. Hey! You know, I think you came to the right person to talk to! We’ve been discussing this topic in English class! Really? What did you guys say? Well, first, we discussed Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass describes his troubled life as a slave and his eventual escape.

As a slave, Douglass really struggles to understand his place in life, as he does not see any reason that his masters are superior or that they should control him. Yeah. I can definitely relate. Sometimes I don’t understand why some of the cliques at school can be so exclusive, like they’re better than the rest of us. Douglass even mentions that his masters used Bible verses to justify their cruelty in slaveholding! Wow! I guess it could always be worse, right?

Haha, yeah! We also see some of the same themes in the book of Philemon. You see, it talks about a man named Onesimus who had run away from his master, Philemon. After his escape, Onesimus finds Paul, who knows Philemon personally and sends Onesimus back to him. What? !? Why? !? It’s certainly a complicated concept. Basically, Paul explains that we are not called to live noble and Christ-like lives once we are in favorable circumstances. Rather, we are called to serve Christ starting right now.

I don’t think I’m quite following yet. Could you elaborate? Look at it this way. Think of a game of Blackjack. Let’s say you receive just about the worst hand possible. What do you do? Do you ask for better cards? Hmmm, I guess not. So what do you do? I guess you gotta play with the cards you’ve got. That’s right! This is what Paul’s saying! We’re called to change the world starting with this moment!

That makes sense, but what does all of this have to do with me? Well, in English class, we also studied a story called Daisy Miller. It’s about a girl who doesn’t understand the social precepts of her culture and is thusly considered low-class. I can relate! Sometimes I feel low-class around other people for no reason at all! Don’t worry! We all feel that way sometimes. That’s reassuring! Anyway, what does this Daisy Miller girl do?

In a nutshell, Daisy ends up confessing to her close friend Winterbourne (long story how he’s involved!) that she cares more about him than her need to stand apart from society. So you’re saying that there’s healing and closure? Exactly! If you say that you feel rejected by others, then you need to meet them halfway. Be the friend that you would want for yourself. Alright! I suppose that’s an area of my life that could use some improvement.

Another example that comes to mind is an experience from my own life. Just over a year ago, I underwent surgery on my right foot, so I was in a cast and on crutches for a while. What did you do? It’s funny. Oddly enough, I was never more motivated to work out at the gym than when I was “crippled, ” so to speak. If you had been there, you would’ve seen this skinny kid in a cast sitting at a machine in a gym awkwardly trying to lift weights!

Hahaha! I bet that was a funny sight to see! Yeah! But at the same time, it’s very serious because it’s this concept of strength in weakness. Sometimes we are never more ready to bring change than when we feel most vulnerable. That really is fascinating! So when you say that you feel like an outcast, just know that you are not the first nor the last, and that this is your moment to lead by example.

Hey man, thanks for the advice! Anytime! It’s my pleasure! As brothers in Christ, we gotta look out for each other! This concludes our message about freedom and outcasts.

Oppression = Opportunity!!!

Dear PCA: • There are moments when it may seem like you've been treated disproportionately, like it's your fault for things that are completely outside your control. • It may seem like it's everybody else's job to make up for your mistreatment, but in reality, it's your job to rise to the challenge. • You may have been handed a struggle, but you've also been handed an opportunity, and it's your job to rise to the occasion.

Thanks for watching!