Unnoticed, Ignored, Dispensable.

When I was teaching I needed to get to know all of the children…

A first group of children I knew because of their particular needs. They needed extra help physically, academically, behaviourally, emotionally…

A second group I knew because they were good at stuff – those who could read and write well, the footballers and musicians, the young scientists and mathematicians.

But then there was a third group – good kids, ordinary kids, somewhere in the middle who could go easily go unnoticed, ignored…

This month’s Christianity magazine reminded me yesterday of Tony Campolo’s infamous sermon:

‘I have three things to say to you today. First, while you were sleeping last night, 45,000 kids died of starvation and diseases related to malnutrition. Secondly, most of you don’t give a shit! What’s worse is that you’re more upset that I said ‘shit’ than the fact that 45,000 kids died last night…’

Unnoticed, ignored children are dispensable.

This morning I was reading Paul’s description of the church (or school or any community) as ‘a body’ – a unit with many parts:

‘The eye cannot say to the hand, “I don’t need you!” And the head cannot say to the feet, “I don’t need you!” On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and the parts that we think are less honourable we treat with special honour…’

The weaker and unnoticed are indispensable!

Abba famously sang:

I’m nothing special, in fact I’m a bit of a bore
If I tell a joke, you’ve probably heard it before…

…I’m ordinary and ignored, but…

…I have a talent, a wonderful thing
‘Cause everyone listens when I start to sing…

So I say
Thank you for the music, the songs I’m singing
Thanks for all the joy they’re bringing

Today I must notice the unnoticed, enjoy the ignored, recognise the indispensability of all, and thank God for the song that they sing, the music that they bring… Without their song or a dance, what are we?