Shame is a nasty feeling that comes from the darkness inside
of us. It’s rooted in fear and insecurity. It warns us to protect ourselves
from rejection, embarrassment, and truth. Shame fosters secrets. It tries to
convince us that we need to hide from ourselves and others and that we won’t be
accepted for who we are or what we’ve done. It destroys relationships with
ourselves, others, and God.
We recently talked about shame during VBS at Rossy’s
community center in Bonfil. The theme of the day was “even when you don’t
understand, God loves you”. During the class, the small group leaders began
washing the kids’ feet but didn’t explain why; instead, they replied “even when
you don’t understand, God loves you”. After all of the kids’ feet had been
washed the teacher asked them how they felt during the activity. In every other
site where we had done this lesson, the kids said that they felt ashamed,
embarrassed, and bad because their feet were dirty. Not at Rossy’s. From the
minute the buckets of water and towels were brought out all 20 of the kids in
my small group were pushing their feet toward the bucket begging me to wash
theirs, some of them sloshing the water out of the bucket in their excitement.
Many of their feet were black from running in the street, but they had no
shame. Some even giggled as they sat their dusty feet on my lap when it was
their turn knowing that I was going to make them clean. The kids at Rossy’s
aren’t ashamed to be who they are. They aren’t ashamed to sing at the top of
their lungs into a microphone praising Jesus. They aren’t ashamed to play games
that make them look silly, and they aren’t ashamed of hard things that have
happened in life.
They have been set free from shame and guilt through the
blood of Christ and now have nothing to fear. It’s not that their lives aren’t
difficult or that they haven’t been touched by hard things—most live in one
room apartments off of a diet of Spaghetti O’s and are the first generation in
their family who can read and write. They understand hard. They just know that
the hard things aren’t what’s most important. And so they jump into life two
feet first, up for anything, doing all things with gusto. They have a hungry
hope that works out the impossible and an enthusiasm that brings life where
there once was none. Every day at Rossy’s is a beautiful craziness and that is
why I love them with so very much of my heart. And that is why I am here—to
serve them and to help them to never lose their unashamed pursuit of God.
