In my child development class, we've been talking about social development. Friends are pretty dang important for our development. When we're an infant to early childhood, playmates and interaction with others helps us learn. In middle childhood, friendship becomes an important thing. Then, adolescence, it becomes incredibly important, as they tend to spend more time with their friends and their social groups than their families. Friends become their secret keepers, their confidants, the people they learn to share the deepest pieces of themselves.
But, it wasn't about friendship that I learned the most about.
Bullying is a real problem in any school you will ever go to. If there are kids, there will be bullying of some sort. In my youth, I regretfully participated in some. Also in my youth, I stuck up for those same kids. I wasn't consistent.
What really gets me, though, is that I had power. I had the power to stop that bullying. I may not have been super popular in elementary school, but I was definitely well-liked. I had a certain level of respect from the kids, partially because most of them knew who my mom was, partially because I was super confident, and partially because I was a little bit arrogant in both of those things. But, I had power. Power that I didn't quite recognize.
In reality, each child, adolescent, adult even, has power. Most of us to not like bullying. Most of the time it makes us feel uncomfortable to witness it. If we participate in it, we tend to feel bad later - only true bullies feel no regret. (Of course, they can grow out of it. But in the immediate time after the bullying, they don't feel bad about it.) But, most of the time, we don't do anything about it. Why? I think it's because we feel powerless.
Did you know that if one single person stands up for a person being bullied, whether it's telling off the bully, comforting the bullied, or inviting the bullied into your circle of friends, others will join you? They will jump at that opportunity to help. The minute they see someone else helping, they will step in also.
The reason why most people don't step up initially? I believe it's because they don't feel they have power.
But, here's the thing: it only takes one person. And then, chances are, you won't be alone.
Be the one to step up. Be the one to show that you aren't ok with the bullying that's happening. Do something. You have power! This is a message I hope my children are able to learn from me.
But, it is not just from me that this lesson can be learned. There is One who showed that there is power is the one. His name is Jesus Christ.
Jesus Christ always stood up for the one who was disliked. He always told off the bullies. He always invited people to join Him. And, He often did it by Himself. Sure, He had disciples. Sure, He had His apostles. But He always was that one who acted first.
Not only did He stand up for the bullied and for the friendless. He also stood up for all of us.
He was the One who stood for our sins, our trials, our sorrows, our pains. He showed that one person can change the world. He showed that the power of one can bring light, can bring joy, can bring kindness.
And, He stood alone so that, in those moments where we choose act alone, when we choose to act first, we will never truly be alone. He will be there with us. Thus, the power of one becomes the power of being one. Being one with our Redeemer and Savior.
Today is Easter. The day that we celebrate the One being raised from the dead, so would never have to be alone again. We have an eternity filled with friends and with families.
And I only have one word to describe my gratitude for such a thing:
Hallelujah!
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