Making the world a little less cruel and heartless

Clayton’s end of year banquet for UIL/Theatre/Debate was last night. There were lots of different tables set up throughout the room, with adults and kids spread throughout the space. When we first arrived, Clayton sat at one table with a good friend, but after a while moved to another table with a group of other kids, after they motioned for he and his friend to join them. I noticed after he moved, that there was one kid who was sitting at the end of that second  table all by himself.

I recognized pretty quickly that the boy who was sitting by himself was the same boy who told Clayton a few months ago that gay people were going to hell because they refused to repent of their sinful ways.

I must admit that mama bear mode kicked in for a fast minute, and I had to restrain myself from going over and telling the kid off. But I didn’t. But I did sit there a moment and gloat about the fact that he was sitting by himself, whereas Clayton was surrounded by a group of friends, laughing and talking.

And then I began to be bothered by the fact that he was sitting there by himself. And because I have a soft heart, even for those whom I feel may not deserve it, I felt bad for the boy. So I sent Clayton a text and said, hey, maybe you should invite the kid at the end of the table by himself to come join y’all.

I saw Clayton look up, see who it was, and send a response text to me of sure. And then he did, without hesitation. He called out and asked the boy to come join his group. The boy told him that he was waiting on someone and Clayton said okay and went back to his conversation.

When it was time to go get food, many of the kids moved from where they had been and Clayton ended up joining a different table with a different group of kids. Because my boy doesn’t meet a stranger.

Eventually the kids this other boy were waiting on came, and he wasn’t sitting alone anymore. And I was glad.

I spent the rest of the evening wondering if this boy had been taught unconditional love for all instead of judgment for those considered unworthy, if he would have spouted the hatred to Clayton that he did.

If he had been taught unconditional love instead of judgment, might he have instead extended grace, as did Clayton, to someone with whom you may not agree, but to whom you choose to show love and acceptance, despite your differences.

Clayton did not hesitate to open his circle to someone new, even someone with whom he has major theological and philosophical differences of opinion. Perhaps we should all learn to practice that same gift of grace and love for others.