Not too long ago, I watched a movie titled
“Temple Grandin”.
It’s about a movie of a person who suffers from autism. She grew up in a life of hardship and bully, confusion and always
misunderstood. There is one part of the movie where her favourite science
teacher talks to her mother when she wanted to give up sending her child
(Temple) to the school. (She was tempted to just protect her from the real
world and hide her at home)
One line caught me, her mother told the teacher : “She is different, not
less”. The teacher paused for a moment,
acknowledged with a nod and replied “Different but not less”.
But that’s one of the main issue in this world that it has never stopped until
today. The oppression of different people will always strive through because of
sin. Did you know In India, there is a class known as the “dalit” where they
are treated less than human? In their
society, the dalits "pollute" higher class people with their presence, touch or
even their shadow!
This is one of the truths that Christ Himself wants us to know about every
person there is in this world. No one is lesser than the other just because
they have a certain disease, social status or just simply don’t fit in. He
wanted all of us to know that we were made in His image! It doesn’t mean they
are a defected creation just because they were born differently from the
“normal”.
Even until today in where I work, I still see people who don’t behave what people
consider as “normal” and hence given a different treatment. I’ll be honest, I have a tendency to follow what the crowd is
doing by treating them like how others are treating them ; especially when I am
not close to God. The thing is, what we don’t realize when we’re doing to them
is that it really hurts. The issue with
us is that we think they deserve it since they are naturally so annoying and despicable. Sometimes we even justify it by saying that they chose to be the
way they are so I am doing them a favour by letting them know that it’s
unacceptable.
But that’s far from the truth, for no one has the right to hate or treat one
lesser than what a normal human should get no matter how different they are
from us. When Jesus came, we all knew He chose to be with the poor and where
the unwanted people are. If you ask me right now where Jesus would be if He is
still around, He will be among the Dalits! He could’ve chose to be where what
people deem as “highly sought after” because they deserve it - The PHD graduates, the successful
businessmen, the handsome and the beautiful and the list goes on. The fact that
He didn’t, tells a lot where His heart lies upon.
Matthew 6 : 21 “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
Throughout the Bible, from the Israelites of the Old Testament until when Jesus
came, God has always expressed one thing He always upholds as crucially important -
to free the oppressed and to manifest what true love is.
Don’t ever think that your actions are not as serious as the word “oppress”.
You don’t have to be beating someone or forcing them as slaves before it is
considered an act of oppression. Not doing something about it or merely giving
them the cold shoulder when they need help is also an act of oppression.
With that in mind, I always do my best to resist the temptation of that
justification and do what I can do to care and love these people just as how
God would’ve loved me. I will still talk
to them even if their replies don’t make sense, invite them out for lunch even
if I don’t enjoy their company and take the trouble to correct them and guide
them even if they don’t listen after telling for the 10th time.
Mark 12 : 30 – 31 “Love
the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your
mind and with all your strength.’[ The
second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’[There is no
commandment greater than these.”
When Jesus told about the greatest commandment especially on the verse - “Love your
neighbour as yourself”, He never made any exception to the neighbor, it is
simply just “neighbor”.
Today in your own church, do you see such people? How have you been treating
them? Today in your own home, in your
school or tuition, how do you see them? Again, How have you been treating your “neighbour”?
“Different but not less”!
(Temple Grandin)
- Gary Heng
