I Don’t Like Getting Tagged

The fence outside the development I live in has been tagged…

Spray painted.

Graffitied.

Vandalized.

I find it annoying.

I don’t like getting tagged.

That’s not what I would choose to put on our fence.

It’s not what our homeowner’s association would choose to put on our fence.

It doesn’t represent us—it represents someone else and their agenda.

It’s a violation. It doesn’t add value, it devalues.

I don’t appreciate getting tagged. Do you?

I don’t think anybody does.

Similarly, when we label people—they’ve been tagged.

And rather than seeing a person of unmeasurable worth in the eyes of God, we only see the tag.

We only see the label we’ve slapped on them.

Doing this strips value, significance, and worth from people…

Real people. People who God loves. People who Jesus gave his life on the cross for.

Let’s not be people who LABEL and TAG and VANDALIZE.

Instead, let’s be people who RESTORE.

In our church’s strategy (the “5 things we do here”), one of those things is: RESTORE—hope, dignity, joy, and life.

We believe people matter to God.

And they matter to us.

“Treat everyone you meet with dignity.” (1 Peter 2.17 MSG)

My paraphrase of that verse: “Add worth, value, and dignity to others—never strip it away.”

Restore, don’t vandalize.

Bless, and do not tag.

SEE ALSO:

The Labels Aren’t Helping

The Ugly Diss