During the pandemic lockdowns I had a lot of time on my hands. For a portion of it I fell into watching too much TV. One of the many shows I watched was a cooking competition show (I think Masterchef) where everyone was competing to not get yelled at by the celebrity judges. What piqued my interest about this season was that the woman who ended up winning was blind. (Apologies for spoiling an 11-year-old cooking show).
She had an amazing quote during one of her interviews and said, “I don’t want to be anyone’s inspiration. I want to be taken seriously as a competitor.” Too often we can discount the people around us because of how different they are, or how we assume a limitation should affect them. This woman cooked her heart out. She won because she made the best food.
It reminds me of the story of Frankenstein. At first blush, we think the monster is the reanimated corpse(s) with the bolts in his neck. However, if you read the story, the real monsters are the towns people who chase him away for being different.
There are people you have known your whole life. They look like you, talk like you, know all your secret code words, and thus, they are easy to love. And then there are new people who come into your life. They don’t look or talk like you and know how you do things, still we are called to love them just as we love those who are already insiders. We are called to welcome those people as though we are welcoming Jesus.
Matthew 25:35-40
35 For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, 36 I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ 37 Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? 38 And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? 39 And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ 40 And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you did it to me.’
What can you do for the least of these?