Normalcy

There he was on the sidewalk.
Long, disheveled hair…flying in every direction.
A coat that was still unbuttoned…flapping open…resembling a cape.
Pants that were much too long…cascading over his boots.

He was walking…not watching where he was going…looking up towards the sky.
His arms were raised.
He was talking.
His movements were animated as he made large gestures with his hands.

I wondered who he was talking to.
I watched him for a few minutes.

Even through my closed car windows, I could hear him.
I couldn’t hear the words…just the volume.
It was loud…though not an angry sort of loud.
It was an I don’t care if anyone hears me…kind of loud.

If I had seen this man on a city street, I may have assumed he had fallen on hard times.
If I had seen this man in church, I may have assumed he was worshiping.
That realization made me pause.

I knew nothing about this man.
Any conclusions I formulated in my mind were total supposition.
Somehow…rather unfairly…I was ready to put an imaginary sign over his head.
Normal…not normal.

How dare I!

I have no idea what this man was going through.
I have no idea if he was dressed like this by choice or by necessity.
I have no idea if he was talking to himself…or talking to God.

How dare I presume!

My brothers, as believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ, don’t show favoritism. Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in shabby clothes also comes in. If you show special attention to the man wearing fine clothes and say, “Here’s a good seat for you,” but say to the poor man, “You stand there” or “Sit on the floor by my feet,” have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts? Listen, my dear brothers: Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom He promised those who love Him? (James 2:2-5)

I tumbled this in my mind all afternoon.

What does normal look like?
Someone talks to themselves…raises their arms…looks up to the sky…we wonder.
Someone talks to themselves…raises their arms…with a Bluetooth in their ear…we think nothing of it.

We tend to look at situations and context to determine normalcy.

If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, “Love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing right. But if you show favoritism, you sin and are convicted by the law as lawbreakers. For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it…Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom, because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment. (James 2:8-10,12, 13)

We have all passed people on the street or in a store who are talking to themselves.
Or so it seems.
Upon closer inspection, they have ear buds in their ears and they are on their phone.
We don’t think anything of it.

I usually enjoy my prayer time when I walk each morning.
Sometimes, I will pray in the car…out loud!
Years ago, talking to yourself would have caused an eye roll or two.
Today, with hands free devices, it is commonplace.

Situations and context determine normalcy.

Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through. A man was there by the name of Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was wealthy. He wanted to see who Jesus was, but being a short man he could not because of the crowd. So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree to see Him, since Jesus was coming that way. When Jesus reached the spot, He looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.” So he came down at once and welcomed Him gladly. All the people saw this and began to mutter, “He has gone to be the guest of a sinner.” But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.” Jesus said to him, “Today, salvation has come to this house,
because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek and save what was lost.” (Luke 19:1-10)

A wealthy business man climbing a tree is not normal.
However, Zacchaeus had his reasons.
The onlookers saw only two categories: righteous and sinners.
Guess what category they put themselves in?
It was not normal for Jesus to go to the house of a tax collector…a sinner.

Jesus not only went to Zaccheaus’ home, He announced that salvation had come to Zacchaeus’ house…All because a wealthy man climbed a tree…and Jesus called to him.
Zacchaeus responded…most likely with an I want the world to hear me kind of response.

What would normal look like, if we viewed it through God’s eyes?