Yes, People is my newest topic. I work for church, two to be exact. And I see people and more people and get to know more about them sometimes than I want to know or need to know. A former pastor of mine back in Illinois once told me that “churches are odd ducks and each church is its own odd duck.” I’d love to see him again and tell him how right he is!

But it’s not the odd-duckedness (if that’s a word) that bothers me about church. It’s the interesting phenomenon that people think they can act their very worst in church…toward fellow parishioners, staff…anybody. Of course, church produces some very fine and noble people as well! That’s called the “saving grace.” But I am always so intriqued at the other class..the ones that feel it is their right to batter you with all of their problems, usually in loud volume, and treat you like you know absolutely nothing…like you’re some sort of untrained pet they just brought home from a rescue shelter. Even if you have a doctorate in your chosen subject.

I have seen so much rudeness and boorishness in church people’s behavior that, I admit, many times I use it as a gage of how to not act in my own church. This leads me to that good ole’ word, shame. Do we not have a sense of shame in our lives? We don’t get our way as an adult and immediately act worse than our children? Are we never ashamed of ourselves anymore? Are we so afraid of the boogeyman that we have lost our sense of respect for one another? We holler at people who bring change in any ever-changing world? We make sure we holler so loud that we never hear the change they are bringing? We hide from it so it doesn’t interfere with our neatly arranged lives, we hope will never change? Change is all around us everyday. So what logic is there in avoiding something that is actually happening as we speak?

And who died and left any of us boss? At various points in our lives we actually are appointed the boss. But that may not be the case all the time. And how do we handle things when someone else takes over as boss…our boss even? Has the term “step down gracefully” entered anyone’s mind lately? Why not? Do we even have a sense of what being graceful means?

More questions…why do people take it upon themselves to force their own expecatations down other people’s throats? When did we become so rude and obnoxious to others, not to mention belligerant? Do we know how awful we look? Worse yet, do we care? Do we care that we are making complete fools of ourselves whilst throwing those adult tantrums? Oiy!
I’m not the be-all or end-all but boy, something is sure missing in society if we act like this.

So that’s it. My treatise on people. Oddly enough, all questions and no answers. Maybe if someone reads this they can supply some answers!