Rudolph the Red-nose Reindeer and Relationships

Rudolph was well, different. He wasn’t like the other reindeer. You see he had this nose that glowed, but maybe you’ve heard the story. None of the other reindeer wanted to play with him because he was…different. Can you blame them? I mean who knows what kind of character a reindeer with a red nose might have? That is how the world works. When someone is outside the realm of “normal” we tend to pull back, to be more guarded, to walk on the other side of the street or divert our kids attention so they don’t notice this strange person. Why should it be any different in the reindeer world?

Of course the differences aren’t always a red nose, or even as obvious as a homeless man on the street. Maybe it is that girl at work who talks a lot, or the man at church who smells and doesn’t always dress very nicely, or the woman who dresses a little too nicely. Maybe it is the child who can’t seem to stay seated, or the mother-in-law who can’t seem to mind her own business. Maybe it’s the … well maybe you can fill in the blank here? I suppose we all have people in our lives who are “different,” difficult people who aren’t easy to love. Now in Rudolph’s case it seems so unjustifiable to treat this reindeer poorly simply because he has that unfortunate nose. The people in our lives, well that is a different story. They are so annoying; it is perfectly justifiable to treat them poorly, right? Even as you read that last line you know the right answer is, “no,” and yet sometimes we find ourselves doing just that. It is easy to love some people, people who are kind to us, people who fill the needs we have, people who are like us, who are “normal.” Oh, but the people who aren’t like us can be so challenging and besides that who wants to stick their neck out and befriend them. I mean what will other people say if I take a coffee break with the office gossip? Or if my family sits next to the stinky man at church?

I wonder if Jesus ever thought about these things? When He went to dinner with the tax collectors or let a prostitute get him a drink? Did He worry about what others were thinking? Maybe you are familiar with the story He told about the Samaritan man (Luke 10:25ff) who found a beaten, bloody Jew and helped him. This wounded man had been robbed and the Priest and the Levite had already seen and ignored him for fear of what others might think of them. He was “unclean”… not “normal.” Now in those days there was plenty of bad feelings between Jews and Samaritans. In fact the Jews disliked Samaritan’s and felt they were both physically and spiritually “different,” and yet it is this man who is the hero of the parable. Certainly this story was a challenge to Jesus’ audience. It forced them to think outside of what would seem acceptable. Perhaps it still applies to us. Maybe this holiday season we should begin to make an effort to love the unlovable, to begin a relationship with someone outside our definition of “normal.” Maybe we can share Christ’s love with those “difficult” people in our lives not just at Christmas but all the year through? Maybe like in the story of Rudolph, we will find a welcome surprise; maybe they will have something to offer us that will help light our path? Regardless, we can let our lights SHINE by following the two greatest commandments Jesus gave, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind…and Love your neighbor as yourself…” Matthew 22:37-39

SHINE for Him,

Marla Graham