Breaking the Norm

My daughter was recently given an interesting assignment in her freshman College Psychology class. They were required to identify a common social norm, and then to break that norm on campus. Some examples were walking backward all day, wearing a formal dress to class, or never sitting down in class. I was excited to brainstorm ideas with my daughter and to even be a con-conspirator in the plan. 

We decided that I would call her in the middle of one of her classes and she would have her ringtone unmuted and obnoxiously loud. She would answer the phone in class and even put me on speakerphone for our short conversation. This past week we executed the plan with perfection! Sure, I might have stayed on the phone longer than necessary in an attempt to embarrass her a bit. But we were both impressed with her courage and enjoyed the reaction of her classmates and professor! (apparently, this is a well-known assignment on campus and thus a lot of understanding is provided)

For some of us, this assignment would be a welcome and fun exercise. For others, it could be terrifying and anxiety-inducing!. Regardless, it would require a deliberate and public effort to stand out from the crowd. What an excellent illustration of our Christian testimony! 

The apostle Paul reminds us that eventually every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord (Phil. 2:9-11). We know we are on the winning team and the battle has already been won. We do not have to wait to join the rest of the unbelieving world to testify of His Lordship. We already know that He is Lord and can show it today!

So the next time you see a courageous person breaking a social norm, let the Holy Spirit remind you how Jesus has broken the normal life of sin and death and provided a rich abundant life of joy and fruit. And then turn up your speakerphone and let the world hear it!