Plain Ole White Boys

Avoiding embarrassment and appreciating our extraordinariness

05/10/2017

Acts of the Apostles 12:24—13:5A 

The word of God continued to spread and grow. After Barnabas and Saul completed their relief mission, they returned to Jerusalem, taking with them John, who is called Mark. Now there were in the Church at Antioch prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Symeon who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen who was a close friend of Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, "Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them." Then, completing their fasting and prayer, they laid hands on them and sent them off.

        Sometimes, that which we think is embarrassing about us is really what is most extraordinary about us. Surprisingly, what we wish to change, should be what we celebrate. Let me use myself as an example. When I was young, I was embarrassed to be Indian. I have a funny middle name “Konuparampil.” I speak an obscure language no one has ever heard of called “Malayalam.” I have brown skin, but all my friends were all white. I visited a family recently, where the man said he was glad to be a “POWB.” I asked, “What’s a “POWB”? He said, “Plain Ole White Boy.” That’s what I wished I was, a plain ole white boy. And other people do this all the time, too. Msgr. Scott Friend told me once that back in 1940 his family (originally from Germany) changed their from “Freund” to “Friend.” Can you guess why? The United States was at war with Germany, so it was not very popular to be German in 1940. Even plain ole white boys wanted to be plain ole white boys!

But I would suggest to you that these embarrassing traits are really extraordinary talents. My family name is my connection to my history and my heritage. If I were to change my name, I would cut myself off from my past. I wouldn’t know who I really am, because I couldn’t trace my genealogy or my true identity. Without my true name, I would remain a mystery to myself. It’s true that not many people speak Malayalam. But fluently speaking more than one language growing up made it easier for me to learn other languages later. Now, I pray morning prayer in Latin, and evening prayer in French, and say Mass in Spanish. That’s all thanks to speaking Malayalam while I was growing up. And what about being brown skinned? Is that a loss or a liability? Hardly. Why do you think people go to the beach to vacation every spring and summer, or use spray-on tans or frequent tanning salons? All my white friends want to look like me! In other words, what I thought was a weakness turned out to be a strength; indeed, it turned out to be a gift and a grace from God. And today, I am very grateful for all those things I used to be so embarrassed about.

         In the first reading from Acts of the Apostles, we meet three leaders of the Church who celebrated their uniqueness and differences. They were okay with not being “plain ole white boys.” First was “Symeon who was called Niger.” He was from northern Africa, and was sometimes called “Simeon the Dark.” He was definitely not a plain ole white boy. Second was “Lucius the Cyrene,” who also hailed from Northern Africa, modern day Lybia. And third was “Manean, a close friend of Herod the Tetrach.” You remember Herod? He was the one who beheaded John the Baptist, and played a role in Jesus’ condemnation. Not many Christians would want to be known as “a close friend” of Herod! That was not exactly a claim to fame. But each of these leaders had learned that what seems embarrassing can also be extraordinary. God changes these liabilities into assets, into graces and gifts. The fact that these men were the leaders of these churches showed that the early Christians could see that, too.

         Boys and girls, today I want you to think about those thing that embarrass you most about yourself. Are you embarrassed by your name and wish it were different? Do you wish you were a “Friend” instead of a “Freund”? Do you wish you didn’t speak English with an accent, because your first language was Spanish or Vietnamese, or Tagalog, or Laotian? Do you want to change your physical attributes: be shorter or taller, skinner or stronger, smarter or faster or have curly hair or have flat hair? People always want the opposite hair style of what they have. Do you ever think to yourself, “Why can we all just be plain ole white boys??”

         But God, in his infinite wisdom, has made you who you are: born into a certain family, speaking a particular language, with unique physical features, with abilities and disabilities. Don’t be embarrassed by who you are. You are extraordinary. Even if you are a plain ole white boy.

Praised be Jesus Christ!