Facing Rejection

I’ve been rejected. So have you. In one way or another we’ve all had to face rejection.

The causes vary. Sometimes our personality might rub some the wrong way. Professionally, we just might not be good enough. There are times when the real problem is with the other person. They reject you because they’re not happy about something in their own life. You might remind them of someone they don’t like, and automatically write you off.

Maybe there is something wrong with you.  When it comes to looks, I have a face made for radio. [My wife will probably want to edit out that sentence, but I won’t let her. By the way, she’s really cute.]

What hurts me the most is when someone automatically rejects me because of my faith. In my role as a hospital chaplain, I’ve had people tell me, one way or another, that they don’t want me around 10 seconds after I walk into their room. They don’t even give me a chance to be helpful, assuming I’m an aggressive evangelist or there to read them the riot act.

I can’t take it personal. They’re not rejecting me. They’re rejecting what I represent.

That still hurts. I cherish my faith. I know the benefits that come from seeking God. I also understand that their rejection is based on bad experiences real or imagine, sensationalized half-truths, and false assumptions.

What happens next? I don’t believe Christ has called us to give up too easily. He didn’t. But at some point, you know you just need to move on. And that’s okay.

Jesus told his disciples that if they try to share the good news and are rejected, to walk away [Matthew 10:14-15]. We see him walk away from rejection in Luke 9:51-56. Paul and Barnabas had to do that in Acts 13:44-46. Paul had to do it again in Acts 18:6.

It’s not the place of believers today to go around correcting people. Yet about a thousand years before Jesus, King Solomon advised that if you did try, the people you want to help may turn on you. [Proverbs 9:7]

In his most famous sermon, Jesus said in Matthew 7:6 “Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces.”  [NIV]

I’ve had people get very hostile with me when I’ve tried to model the love and grace and peace of God. It’s hard not to take it personal. I have to remind myself that usually these people have no idea what they’re talking about.

Until something in them changes, we need to do our best to be salt and light [Matthew 5:13-16], keep them in our prayers, and look for ways to be helpful so we can earn the right to be heard.

Even if they reject us for something unrelated to our faith, perhaps this response is still worthwhile, for their sake and our own.

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Dave Soucie lives, serves and writes in Indianapolis.

Copyright © 2024 by Dave Soucie.  All rights reserved [but permission is granted for non-commercial use only, with proper citation and by informing the author].

THE ADORATION of lesser gods

I always liked the music of the Beatles. What I didn’t like was the worship of the Beatles, Beatlemania, the obsession of all things related to the Beatles. Too much.

We saw the same adoration around the deification of Elvis. I remember a vintage newsreel from the 1940s of teenage girls screaming in delight when Frank Sinatra made an appearance.

Today it seems the prize for the most crazed example of fans goes to the Swifties, who idolize Taylor Swift.

This phenomenon is nothing new. Throughout history dating back millennia there are examples of rabid fans causing riots as devotees of one actor clash with the fans of another. But these stories are mostly forgotten, and only of interest to history nerds like me.

Confined to artists? No. Political and military leaders can surround themselves with devotees who will do their bidding. Religious cults typically begin with one charismatic leader who demands obedience to their commands no matter how bizarre and unhealthy. There is a long tradition, and plenty of examples, of the “Cult of Personality.”

Instead of a person, worship can be given to something broader. Sports. Hobbies. Greed. Sex. Status.

All these can be examples of THE ADORATION of lesser gods.

Why? What causes people to look for something to worship that is as flawed as they are?

1.  Is it because it appeals to some simmering aspiration to become famous? If a celebrity can achieve such vaulted status, being adored by the masses, then perhaps I too could become highly admired.  Since others value me, then perhaps I do have worth.

2. Is it easier to relate to another mere human than to a God that is beyond our full comprehension? Since these celebrities experience much of life like us, we think they can relate to us. This ignores the “word made flesh” of John 1:14, the incarnation of Jesus.

3. While the expectations from and sacrifices of fandom can be challenging, they don’t come close to what God welcomes from his people.

4. You could label it Substitutionary Narcissism, where we elevate one of our own. It reinforces the fantasy that we are the masters of the universe. It is a deification of humanity, an effort to sideline he who is omniscient, omnipotent, and omnipresent. When we do that, making an imperfect human our standard to follow, we’re adding their flaws to our own, and we’re worse off than we were before.

5. The level of accountability is different. A celebrity only requires adoration and ticket sales. Military dictators and cult leaders demand complete obedience, but can’t read your thoughts. The Lord of Heaven wants us body and soul, and that is too high a price for the uncommitted.

There’s nothing wrong with enjoying the talent of an artist, within reason. There is a problem with cult or totalitarian leaders.

Personally, I’d rather focus my loyalty on God who died to prove the depth of his sincerity, commitment and love. Only he deserves my adoration.

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Dave Soucie lives, serves and writes in Indianapolis.

Copyright © 2024 by Dave Soucie.  All rights reserved [but permission is granted for non-commercial use only, with proper citation and by informing the author].