Who doesn’t like an “attaboy!” when they do something good?

That’s why we have an “honor society” in school. It is the reason we have scholarship awards as we head into college. “Attaboy!” stands behind all those accolades high achievers get throughout life — Rhode’s scholarships, purple hearts, Silver stars, gold statues, merit raises for school teachers, making partner in a big firm, getting re-elected to office.  

“Attaboys!” reward the gracious, good, above-and-beyond behaviors we see in others. Good persons deserve good things.

The problem is that our vision of “good behavior” can get extremely myopic, extremely near-sighted. We only are able to see the good in those who stand closest to us. Those far off become, if not “bad,” at least “other.”

“Otherness” is perhaps the most insidious form of prejudice. Why? Because “otherness” makes those who are not close to us, closed to us. “Otherness” disassociates our close family and other loved ones from outsiders and strangers. As soon as we identify some people as “others,” the game is over. We have drawn up “us” vs. “them” battle-lines.

In this past Sunday’s gospel parable (Luke 18:9-14), the good-living, well-meaning Pharisee and the ne’r-do-well tax collector are set up as ideal types of the “acceptable” vs. the “other.” The contrast could not be sharper.

The Pharisee examines himself, and finds no fault with himself. The tax collector lets God examine him. He lets God take a CT-Scan of his soul. He throws himself on the bar of God’s justice and he receives what he needs most of all – MERCY!

Ironically, the Pharisee treats God as a debt collector and the tax collector, who IS a debt collector, treats God as a Savior. As always, Jesus turns our world “upside down” so that the troubling world you and I live in can someday live “right side up”.

Are you willing to let Jesus turn YOUR life and YOUR world “right side up?”

SOMETIMES YOU HAVE TO LET GOD TURN YOUR LIFE UPSIDE DOWN, SO YOU CAN LEARN HOW TO LIVE, RIGHT SIDE UP!