Thinking that People are Idiots

A few days after writing my last blog post (about a very rude and out of touch man at Bed, Bath, and Beyond ) I had an interesting interaction with God. I was at a memorial service for a friend. We were in the middle of a deeply emotional and intense moment of musical worship when I felt that God brought to mind the interaction with the man with no verbal governor. Alongside the feelings of sadness and grief that I was already feeling, all of the feelings of anger and resentment toward that man (and the many people who have said stupid things about Josh) exploded inside me.

Ironically, we were singing "Amazing Grace" while I was reliving my thoughts and feelings of hating the stupid idiots that populate the planet and my life.

"Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me . . ."

("Oh yeah, and also that soccer coach who was rude to Josh, what an incredible jerk . . . ")

A few minutes later, I heard God say to me, "Have you ever said anything stupid?"

Of course, the answer is, Yes. I know in my heart that I say stupid things all the time. In fact, just a few minutes before, during the socializing time prior to the memorial, I had said something to an acquaintance that I deeply regretted. So, yes. I have and I feel bad about it.

Slowly, the incongruence of the moment stuck me. Here I am singing about grace, supposedly worshiping the God of grace, acknowledging the grace in my friend's life. I walk around as an undisciplined extrovert counting on the grace of God and people to cover all of the unthoughtful or inappropriate things that I might say. I think God was pointing out to me that it's the same grace that covers the stupid idiot things that random strangers say about Josh. Can you believe it? Grace covers insensitive things said about kids with special needs.

I thought back to that moment at Bed, Bath, and Beyond and imagined Grace being present. I pictured the face of the man who had said those things about Josh. Though the lens of grace I could see that he was not a stupid idiot. He was a person in need of grace, just like I am. I forgave him and felt a burden lifting from my heart.

" . . . was blind but now I see."