Misfits

By Dr. Peter Scaer

Do you ever feel alone even when you are in a crowd? Especially when you are in a crowd? Ever feel like you just don’t fit in? When it comes to being a misfit, high school is the worst—the pimples, the cracking voice, the general social awkwardness. For some, high school is a slice of paradise, while for others, it’s a constant struggle to find your place in what can be a very cliquish world. In high school, the lines of division are everywhere, and they are drawn on everything from looks to athleticism, from academics to maturity. Some freshman guys are already growing moustaches, while others are only on the edge of puberty. I remember well a group of girls chanting about a friend of mine (No, it wasn’t me!), “You’re not a man. You’re not a boy. You’re a misfit. You’re a misfit.” Sure, some folks seem to be part of the in crowd—the captain of the football team, the student body president, and the cheerleaders. (No doubt, they have their problems too).

But what about the rest of us? Where do we fit in?

I’m not sure if it helps, but if you’re a misfit, you’re not alone. If you were, then Hollywood wouldn’t make so many movies about you. When I was growing up, it was “Revenge of the Nerds,” not to mention all those miserable Molly Ringwald movies. Rock and roll also fills the gap. In my day, the Kinks put out an album called “Misfits,” and then, later, there was a group by the same name. And, from what I can tell, teen movies and TV shows are as popular as ever, and people keep writing songs. So, if you happen to feel awkward, like an Ugly Betty, you can bet that many other folks do too.

And, for what it’s worth, the Bible is littered with misfits, some really odd fellows. You can’t get much stranger than the prophets. John the Baptist lived an odd life out in the desert while eating locusts. Jeremiah was also a bit of a loner, highly emotional and tightly wound. To make matters worse, our Lord seems to have intensified Jeremiah’s isolation, telling him that he couldn’t have a wife and family. In fact, he wasn’t even allowed to attend a funeral or a wedding. No parties for the prophet (Jeremiah 16:1–9). And then, there’s Ezekiel. Poor guy. Not only was he sent by God to be a prophet, but he also had to act out the prophecies in a strange public way. In order to warn the folks about the fall of Jerusalem, Ezekiel was told to make a little model of the city of Jerusalem, lie on his side for 390 days, and eat barley cake cooked on human dung (Ezekiel 4:11). At other times, as if on a dare, our Lord commanded Ezekiel to clap his hands and stamp his feet (6:11) or to groan loudly (21:11). No doubt, Ezekiel must have felt ridiculous. Apostles often felt this way too. St. Paul called himself a fool for Christ and moaned that God had made him “a spectacle to the world, to angels and men” (1 Corinthians 4). Why were the prophets so odd? There was a method to the madness, I think. By their strange behavior, the prophets were telling us that what the world thinks important, really, in the end, doesn’t matter.

What matters at your school? Pardon all this reminiscing, but when I went to school the rich kids wore Alligator shirts. Penguins signaled that you were a second-class classmate. The girls, God help them, would be applauded for their big hair and trendy leg-warmers. Of course, when in doubt, anything expensive is good. And what do we learn from the Bible? What really matters? Clothes? They wear thin and go out of fashion. John the Baptist wore a rough camel hair coat to make that point. Money? You can’t take it with you. And, looking back on it, most of my friends wasted theirs on stuff that’s long since been tossed in the trash. Matthew recognized this fact and left his job in order to pursue the ministry. As for beauty? Beauty fades. Athletics? You ever see a fifty-year-old playing football? What then? Our Lord says, “Seek first the kingdom of God.” Remember what’s real. Grab onto Christ, and seek His approval, knowing that He already is on your side.

To be sure, being a misfit can be hard. But the fact is that being on the outside has its advantages. If you’re on the outside, you might actually develop a sense of humor about the world and about yourself. Plus, a sense of humor is a step towards honesty, not to mention sanity. By standing apart from the crowd, even a little, you begin to say with the preacher of Ecclesiastes, “Vanity, vanity, all is vanity.” Conformity to the world and to the standards of others isn’t all that it’s cracked up to be. In fact, it can be mind numbing. Remember that as Christians, we’re in the world but not of it. If you want to conform, conform to the image of Christ, the ultimate outsider. For “He came into His own, and His own knew Him not.” He was misunderstood by His family, forsaken by His good friends, and hated by most of His countrymen. But still, He persevered. He had a purpose, and that purpose was to bring about our salvation. So, smile, and know that you are not alone. Not only is Christ with you, but there are an awful lot of folks who feel the same way as you.Take heart. Enjoy life, and be yourself in Christ.

Dr. Peter Scaer is Assistant Professor of Exegetical Theology at Concordia Theological Seminary, Fort Wayne, Indiana. His e-mail address is scaerpj@ctsfw.edu.