I felt like I was driving the wrong way on a one way street. After meeting an appointment at a local college I had an hour before my evening class began. I couldn’t use my classroom because it was being used by some undergrads. So I went to a city park to use the mile round walking trail. No where did I see any signs dictating you had to walk counter-clockwise even though everyone was. I walked it clockwise. I was the only one. The advantage being that I got to greet everyone using the trail otherwise I would have merely stared at the back of the same person. I enjoyed walking what was obviously the wrong way.
Many years ago on Candid Camera they waited until some poor guy got into an elevator. Then a Candid Camera crew filled the elevator around him. In unison they faced different directions every few moments. Every time the Candid Camera crew faced a different direction he did it with them. He couldn’t resist the psychological pressure not to conform.
Paul wrote the following to the Romans, “Be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, . . .” (12:2) A paraphrase renders it like this, “Don’t let the world squeeze you into its mold.” Actually it isn’t very difficult to be different among strangers. It is the people who know us who can apply subtle pressure. We develop a known persona and the people we know want us to stay in character. It’s time to walk against the grain. If you are a grump, start being nice. If you are a gossip, quit it. If you are wonderful, please stay that way.
Written by Roger Bothwell on September 24, 2009
Spring of Life Ministry, PO Box 124, St. Helena, CA 94508
rogerbothwell.org