Basically, we learn one person’s story.

And then we assume that everyone who has a similar characteristic must also have a similar life.

Our brains unfortunately do this with skin color, how people are dressed, hair styles, gender, religion…

We assume.

We assume that everyone at church is doing great, and we are the odd ones out.

We’ve learned the single story of a “perfect member” and apply it to everyone sitting around us, alienating ourselves as the “other.”

Or we assume that “less-active” people have lost their testimonies because we think we know their full story.

Learning an individual person’s single story is a great way to know THAT person.

The danger comes when we use it to make negative assumptions and unfounded judgments.

Because at church, we have such a variety!

I have learned to truly love the diversity of life experiences, personalities, gifts, interests, and education that I’m surrounded by each Sunday.

We DO have many similarities when we belong to this church.

We are asked to become one in purpose. ⁣

But that doesn’t mean for a second that we all come to the table with the same experiences. ⁣

And I love it!⁣

“We, being many, are one body in Christ… Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us”. (Romans 12:5-6)

Becoming unified as a church means recognizing the variety of talents, life experiences, stages of testimony, and education that we each have.

And we celebrate it!

And we use it to uplift each other and connect with each other! ⁣

We truly get to know people instead of assuming and judging. ⁣

Connection.

The body of Christ is all connected in one whole.

The more we can connect and share, the closer we become, unified in Christ.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post The danger of a single story first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

Everyone was taking the sacrament.

Everyone has gotten dressed up in their best clothes out of respect for the ordinance.

And I felt like a hot mess.

Trying to keep a baby from crying, trying not to let my kid flip the bread tray over (like he has before), trying to be at least kind of reverent.

Just trying.

But still a hot mess.

“Everyone else has it all together. Everyone else can handle their kids and keep them reverent. Everyone else is worshiping appropriately.”

Those words started to creep in my head.

But then guess what happened?

Over the next two hours, all the “perfect people” around me gave talks, led lessons, shared comments, chatted with me in the hallway…

Each person opening up about a sufficient trial they are going through.

I KNOW this, and yet I still forget!

Of COURSE the pews aren’t filled with perfect people who haven’t got a cast in the world.

We are all a hot mess in one way or another.

Just because we smile or we wear nice clothes doesn’t mean our hearts are okay.

“The Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart.” (1 Samuel 16:7)

The Lord knows the sins, the heartaches, the distractions, the loneliness, the overwhelm that fills each seat at church.

And I think this is how I want to become more Christlike.

I see the outward appearance, yes.

But I want to know the hearts around me, too.

I want to connect and mourn and love.

So that instead of sitting in the pew, wallowing in self-pity, I can learn to see and love as the Savior does.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post The hearts in the pews around me first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.