May 8, 2012

Different but not less

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

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