Stereotypes

One of the topics I get to teach at school is stereotypes.....of Americans......and I want to share with you some of the things my students have said are "stereotypically" American. "Americans are not very intelligent." "Americans are fat." "Americans eat fast food all the time." "Americans are rich." "Americans want to dominate the world." "Americans are ignorant about other countries in the world." Well, you can imagine some of the interesting discussions we have centered around a number of these stereotypes. Regarding being fat, I ask them, "So, do you think I'm fat? What about Mr. P. (a colleague from last year)? Or what about Mr. D.? How about the Fulbright teacher Ms. H.?" I love their responses, "Well, no, you guys aren't fat." Then I ask, "Well, how many Americans do you know?" "Well, just you. But we see it in the movies and they are fat!" "Ok, what movies?" "You know that movie, "Super-Size Me"?" Then I have to chuckle a bit.....of course they know these are just stereotypes. Or do they? But I got to thinking about conversations like this, and how this kind of thinking, in general, overflows into our perception of God....into THEIR perceptions of God. I've asked some students when we've talked about religion, what their perceptions of God are. "Mean." "Totally loving." "Someone who wants to make us do stuff that's not fun." "Boring." "Irrelevant." "Like a big grandpa in the sky." Most of my students' perceptions of Americans are based on movies or TV programs. What are their perceptions of God based on? This hit me like a bolt of lightning because Jesus has sent US out into the world to be salt and light, to be living examples of people who have been born again, to put it into teenager terms, to be a "movie" about God's love and grace and mercy. When people look at me, do they see the "stereotype"? Or do they see Christ in me, life, truth and the way? Food for thought for all of us.