So, if you can imagine these dudes at the bottom of the totem pole, then you can imagine what everyone thought when they noticed an old buffalo on the open, grassy savannah. Aged and sickly, he had been left by his buffalo buddies. Not even a family member to keep him company. He was on his own. He slows down the herd. So, they leave the old fella. No one goes back to help him.
Locals know him as the Loser!
None of the herd helps the loser. If they stop to assist, he endangers the whole group, so he is vulnerable to attack by the lions. His days are numbered. Everyone knows it, but it is his fate. All he has to look forward to is loneliness and a gruesome ending by the incisors of a lioness—poor thing. As an older guy myself, I found myself muttering under my breath, “Run, buddy!! Get up, run! Don’t let them do this to you!”
Let me be forthright. We all know someone toward the bottom of the social hierarchy. For some reason, they were not blessed with charm, good looks, wit, finances, or possibly good health. Others are experiencing trying times and disillusionment. Too many days they feel like a loser, a misfit. As you are aware, this can also be true regarding the older population among us. They may spend more time thinking about the distant past, about what is in their rear-view mirror, than what is ahead of them. They lose hope when thinking about the future.
If you are honest, there are days you feel like a loser. Me too.
If you consider yourself a Jesus fan—one of his followers—then we have to hold ourselves to a very high standard of compassion and caring. Simply having our theology figured out and shrink-wrapped doesn’t cut it anymore.
Look around; take inventory right now. Who might feel like a lonely loser? Can you shoot them a text? Drop off a pizza? Invite them to sit with you at church or a ball game? Who could benefit from your listening, non-judgmental ear? You don’t have to fix ‘em.
They are vulnerable to depression. A lioness of despair might be lurking in the shadows, ready to pounce.
Will you step up and lean in? It might be a person who looks like they have it all together—anything but a loser--but they might feel like one today. God doesn’t like anyone to feel like a loser, so let’s be a part of his plan to make others feel like winners and remind them that God believes in them. When necessary, use words.
