On the Bus

“…and you pay attention to the one well-dressed and say, ‘Have a good seat here!’ and to the poor one you say, ‘You stand there’ or, ‘Sit down on the floor by my feet.’” James 2:3

Did you ever ride a bus to school or an event when you were a teenager? I’m not sure what the appeal was, but the seats of choice were the two in the very back of the bus. (I’m being fake naïve, by the way, I know very well what the allure was.) You could just about chart the pecking order of any group by observing where they sat on the bus.

The kids with power were always at the back. There might be a few growls at the beginning of the trip, one or two newbies testing the availability of those coveted seats, but the powerful few would always win out. That position would not change the entire trip; or the entire school year. The teacher’s favorites and the handful of nerds usually sat near the front. They mostly liked to distract the driver.

In the middle were your average guys and girls. If it was a long trip, there would be three or four rows of girls, one behind the other, French-braiding the hair of the two in front of them. Depending on the maturity of the boys, they were either playing cards, throwing spit wads, flirting across the aisle, or begging to have their own hair braided. (Ok, not the last one, usually).

The point, of course, is that everyone had their place. It was an unwritten rule. It was rare indeed if someone vacated their coveted space to someone out of their circle. It was even less likely to happen if the person was new. (There were the allowable exceptions for the “hot” new girl or the “dreamy” new boy).

Another coveted spot in the sociological view of travel is “shotgun”. When three ride in a car, much time is consumed deciding who gets to ride shotgun and who has to ride in the back. So important is the position that it has been known for a passenger to shout “shotgun” on the way to a car even when only two were traveling.

Sadly, the church has its coveted positions as well. And they can be as entrenched as the seats on a bus, sometimes more so. Without appearing to be too cynical, let me share what I have observed.

It is Sunday morning, just moments before worship is to begin. Everyone has taken their places and the few remaining conversations are drawing to a close. The buzz is friendly, and people greet each other happily. Perhaps they sing an opening hymn or chorus, and then take the chance to greet each other.

A new visitor arrives in those opening moments and usually, even in the least friendly churches, will be greeted by someone when the permission is granted to “greet a few friends”. But, after attention is drawn back to the pulpit at the front, people slide into their appropriate pews with their family or favorite friends in close proximity.

But, here’s what I have noticed. Suppose that same group has a fellowship meal after morning Worship.

(We are not allowed to call it Potluck…since there is no such thing as “luck” and God would be pretty upset if we even used a word that indicated there might be a modicum of luck in the world. Yes, each cook is directly guided by the Holy Spirit about what dish to bring, the appropriate amount, and what spices to prepare it with. There is no luck at all when Christians meet to eat.)

Sorry…back to the fellowship meal. Even in the friendliest churches, that visitor may be greeted well during and after the service, but once people find table-mates to eat with, the old peer groups gather with little notice of the new person. I have watched as a new couple sits for a full half hour with two or three chairs between them and anyone else in the group. Our awareness of others outside our own group always needs work. We are just, well, more comfortable with people we know.

Of course, James is talking about something even worse. He sees a church that regularly seats the well-to-do in the best spot and leaves the lonesome visitor to stand or sit on the floor! I don’t know if James had this in mind as he wrote, but I can imagine this happening all the while that Scriptures were being read about God’s love of the poor!

The moment we honor or dishonor another person based upon outward preferences, we have dislocated our values. When we give preference to the rich, we are still operating out of the values of our old sinful self. When we ignore those who have nothing, we are blatantly prejudiced, and in need of God’s intervention. When little phrases like “they should get a job” or “I never had to depend on handouts” pop out of our mouths, we betray our own discriminatory thinking that looks nothing like Christ at all!

I want to grow up from teenage territorial tendencies. I want to be able to invite anyone who wants, “Come on, sit with me in the best seat!” That is, of course, assuming I’m in the best seat. Maybe it’s time we just say, “I’m going to willing, knowingly, hang out in the territory I’m not used to for a while”.

Isn’t that what Jesus did? We sing so much that He left the splendor of heaven, came among us, and made us His own. How can we do any less? So, give someone else a chance at “shotgun”, befriend the new person lost in the crowd, and, for goodness’ sake, take a plate at potluck (oops!...er, fellowship meal) and sit with someone you have not met before.

For me? As soon as my writing is done today, I am going to visit a couple of homes, asking God which ones others might normally not pay attention to. Anyone else want to join me?