Un-belongers

Most of us know how it feels to be misfits. At some time or another, we have felt like outcasts, on the fringe of acceptability, one of the un-belongers. Worldly acceptance is fickle. If you are part of the ‘in-crowd’, it’s just a matter of time before you are marginalized.

Some people are outcasts because they behave in a way that is socially unacceptable. Others might just not know how to fit in. It’s much easier to be accepted by the world if you know how to play the social game. Then there are those of us who have gotten tired of playing the silly games of popularity and one-upmanship. We have chosen to opt out and live differently, make unpopular choices, to be one of the un-belongers.

I like observing fringe people. If they are mean, manipulative, or harmful—I tend to give them a wide berth. However, if they have been marginalized merely because they are different, I’m immediately drawn to them. Even if I have very little else in common with them, I know how it feels to be the outcast.

When I was a teenager, even though I was always surrounded by tons of people, I felt alone. I lived in a huge city, went to a large school, socialized regularly with people from my own ethnic and socioeconomic background—yet still felt that no one understood or accepted me for who I was. This is a common phenomenon, especially among teenagers. Now that I’m older, I have gotten comfortable with my uniqueness. Yet, I meet others who are my age that are still coming to terms with not fitting in.

Reaching out to other un-belongers—especially those who are part of the ‘Resistance’ movement against this corrupted world—has become one of my passions. I can usually spot people who have been pushed to the margins of groups—especially because they refuse to give in to the world’s standards. I reassure them that there are many others like us, and we are going to be okay. Nonconformists, though rarely embraced by society, almost always make a bigger difference in this world.

“Reach out to the homeless and loveless in their plight, and guard against corruption from the godless world.” (James 1:27 MSG)