I was eleven. New school. Honor roll. My friends were proud. The cool kids had a different word for it.
I became an English teacher. Then a head of school. I still make my living with words. But I spent years pretending I didn’t love them quite so much.
The cage isn’t exclusive to any one group. It just wears different clothes depending on the room. The shame isn’t exclusively black. But the version you lived — where excellence itself gets labeled a betrayal of your people — that’s a particular cruelty. The lie is more efficient when the stakes are identity, not just social standing. What you named here, the lie that excellence belongs to someone else, the theft that doesn’t announce itself, that’s the thing. That’s exactly the thing.
It was a great day of freedom and maturity for me when it finally dawned on me that at the end of my life only one opinion of me really matters, and He has already accepted me in Christ.
Fear of man IS A SNARE. Perfect application of the living word. We are fallen, why seek the approval of other fallen creatures when you can conform to the perfect sacred living word of God? The word as written in the Bible can be our operating system, this is why God gave it to us. When we ignore our operating system, the word, we glitch, and we are just not right. We may feel guilt or sorrow and detachment or just out of phase, point is there is ONE way to get in tune. Reboot and pick up the book. Awesome post. Have a blessed day.
Thank you for sharing such a personal insight. I happen to be white and my fear was about being poor, but those kinds of fears often show clearly in the eyes of little ones. I am thankful for my own experience because it keeps my heart open to the hearts of all others.
My grandmother was a depression child. She had seven siblings. They lived in a very rural, economically challenged area in Alabama. As a child I spent many weekends at my great grandmother's home in that area. I learned to ride a bicycle there, caught tadpoles in a creek, chased piglets, visited an outhouse, slept on a creaky feather mattress that squeezed, breathed in the aroma of a coal burning heater that heated the whole house, etc. So many memories that I cherish. I didn't know at the time it was all poverty. I did know after I became an adult. I had long conversations with my grandmother before she died about growing up there and living through the war years. She was a Rosie Riveter and placed radios in bombers. I asked her once what it was like living with the poverty of her childhood. She told me that they did not live in poverty. Her parents were very loving and resourceful. They were always fed, clothed,and had a nice warm house to sleep in. Both parents were very devout Christians, also. That taught me that poverty is in the eye of the beholder. I'm blessed to have had those memories.
I forgot to mention the story about my great aunt snatching a yard chicken up and separating it's head from it's body for Sunday Dinner. She left the head on the side porch and I took it and wrapped it like a babydoll. Played with it until my grandmother found me with it. I was just a weird little kid........I actually had store bought dolls.
If we can silence the voice of the enemy of our soul and rest in the peace and truth of who we truly are in Christ, there lies liberty. The world is a noisy place. When Jesus asked his disciples “Who do people say the son of man is?”Simon Peter said “You are the Messiah the son of the living God.” Our identity lies solely in him. Thankful Virgil
that you know who you are in Christ and through your gifts and talents, which are remarkable we benefit. Thank you for sharing your story. I am glad you didn’t listen to that lie.
I honestly would like to know where this lie originated from and why is it so widely held? I mean, I know who the father of lies is, but where did this earthly lie begin? Why is it not cool to do your best? Would love to hear your thoughts Pastor Walker.
It's been studied. One theory is that field slaves were suspicious of house slaves that started assimilating into the households of masters(white or black). Yes, there were black masters. That would make it more of a class thing, I suppose. It disappeared for decades. It caught hold again, when schools were desegregated. Black students were forced into predominately white schools with predominately white teachers. Up until then they had been segregated into schools with mostly black teachers as mentors and role models. That was also, the beginning of the end for the black nuclear family and the beginning of the Social Justice Church movement. Catastrophe on top of catastrophe. Could just be plain old envy, too.
I was far from cool, pretty, or popular, but I can see a piece of my old self in the 12-year-old girl whose words held sway over you back then. And I felt compelled to pray for her.
Obviously she would be an adult by now, but I prayed that the Lord would convict her heart as He did mine, if He hasn’t already.
As a side note, I committed my life to Christ at about the same age (12), after which the Holy Spirit would not allow me to be combative with or condescending to others without feeling the pain my own words caused. The Holy Spirit has a way of showing us that we cannot remain in our sin and still have a relationship with God!
Virgil, I'm so thankful you were just being .... well Virgil. You are a blessing from the Lord to your readers and listeners (such as myself). Gifted in writing, articulate in speech, authentic in personality, and humble in Spirit - I'm so thankful you did not shrink from becoming the full measure of God's man as He created you. Godspeed my brother!
It is everywhere — the pull to pretend to be something we are not in order to please others. May God strengthen us with every new challenge (and they don’t end when one finally mark half a century in age!) we face each day, granting us the grace to live out His image in us without apology but always with gentle winsomeness.
I have heard this story before. It always hurts my heart. We are so good at building cages for ourselves as we cry for freedom. Christ offers freedom while we choose to listen to man’s voices. I wonder what became of that little girl?
Thank you Virgil, this was so fun to read about— I think just about Everyone goes through this and then Later we look back and realize how Ridiculous it was to hide what the Good Lord had put in us❣️🙀 Blessings to you and your family and I look 👀 forward to seeing you soon‼️👍💕😻
I look forward to your posts because they are always full of such profound insight and Biblical truth. I always learn, and I am always blessed by your words, but this one was special.
My prayer is that many people will read it and be blessed as I was. Thank you again. ❤️🙏
I was eleven. New school. Honor roll. My friends were proud. The cool kids had a different word for it.
I became an English teacher. Then a head of school. I still make my living with words. But I spent years pretending I didn’t love them quite so much.
The cage isn’t exclusive to any one group. It just wears different clothes depending on the room. The shame isn’t exclusively black. But the version you lived — where excellence itself gets labeled a betrayal of your people — that’s a particular cruelty. The lie is more efficient when the stakes are identity, not just social standing. What you named here, the lie that excellence belongs to someone else, the theft that doesn’t announce itself, that’s the thing. That’s exactly the thing.
Talking with you next week. Can’t wait :).
It was a great day of freedom and maturity for me when it finally dawned on me that at the end of my life only one opinion of me really matters, and He has already accepted me in Christ.
Fear of man IS A SNARE. Perfect application of the living word. We are fallen, why seek the approval of other fallen creatures when you can conform to the perfect sacred living word of God? The word as written in the Bible can be our operating system, this is why God gave it to us. When we ignore our operating system, the word, we glitch, and we are just not right. We may feel guilt or sorrow and detachment or just out of phase, point is there is ONE way to get in tune. Reboot and pick up the book. Awesome post. Have a blessed day.
Thank you for sharing such a personal insight. I happen to be white and my fear was about being poor, but those kinds of fears often show clearly in the eyes of little ones. I am thankful for my own experience because it keeps my heart open to the hearts of all others.
My grandmother was a depression child. She had seven siblings. They lived in a very rural, economically challenged area in Alabama. As a child I spent many weekends at my great grandmother's home in that area. I learned to ride a bicycle there, caught tadpoles in a creek, chased piglets, visited an outhouse, slept on a creaky feather mattress that squeezed, breathed in the aroma of a coal burning heater that heated the whole house, etc. So many memories that I cherish. I didn't know at the time it was all poverty. I did know after I became an adult. I had long conversations with my grandmother before she died about growing up there and living through the war years. She was a Rosie Riveter and placed radios in bombers. I asked her once what it was like living with the poverty of her childhood. She told me that they did not live in poverty. Her parents were very loving and resourceful. They were always fed, clothed,and had a nice warm house to sleep in. Both parents were very devout Christians, also. That taught me that poverty is in the eye of the beholder. I'm blessed to have had those memories.
Beautiful story. Thank you for sharing.
I forgot to mention the story about my great aunt snatching a yard chicken up and separating it's head from it's body for Sunday Dinner. She left the head on the side porch and I took it and wrapped it like a babydoll. Played with it until my grandmother found me with it. I was just a weird little kid........I actually had store bought dolls.
That’s hilarious
Amen.
If we can silence the voice of the enemy of our soul and rest in the peace and truth of who we truly are in Christ, there lies liberty. The world is a noisy place. When Jesus asked his disciples “Who do people say the son of man is?”Simon Peter said “You are the Messiah the son of the living God.” Our identity lies solely in him. Thankful Virgil
that you know who you are in Christ and through your gifts and talents, which are remarkable we benefit. Thank you for sharing your story. I am glad you didn’t listen to that lie.
I honestly would like to know where this lie originated from and why is it so widely held? I mean, I know who the father of lies is, but where did this earthly lie begin? Why is it not cool to do your best? Would love to hear your thoughts Pastor Walker.
It's been studied. One theory is that field slaves were suspicious of house slaves that started assimilating into the households of masters(white or black). Yes, there were black masters. That would make it more of a class thing, I suppose. It disappeared for decades. It caught hold again, when schools were desegregated. Black students were forced into predominately white schools with predominately white teachers. Up until then they had been segregated into schools with mostly black teachers as mentors and role models. That was also, the beginning of the end for the black nuclear family and the beginning of the Social Justice Church movement. Catastrophe on top of catastrophe. Could just be plain old envy, too.
I was far from cool, pretty, or popular, but I can see a piece of my old self in the 12-year-old girl whose words held sway over you back then. And I felt compelled to pray for her.
Obviously she would be an adult by now, but I prayed that the Lord would convict her heart as He did mine, if He hasn’t already.
As a side note, I committed my life to Christ at about the same age (12), after which the Holy Spirit would not allow me to be combative with or condescending to others without feeling the pain my own words caused. The Holy Spirit has a way of showing us that we cannot remain in our sin and still have a relationship with God!
I was about 10 years old and it never fails to amaze me how the Holy Spirit taps on my shoulder, even after half a century.
Virgil, I'm so thankful you were just being .... well Virgil. You are a blessing from the Lord to your readers and listeners (such as myself). Gifted in writing, articulate in speech, authentic in personality, and humble in Spirit - I'm so thankful you did not shrink from becoming the full measure of God's man as He created you. Godspeed my brother!
Oh Virgil, I am so pleased you decided to ‘use your words’ as they inform, instruct, and delight.
Great article
I listen while I walk. It is hard to walk with tears in my eyes. More need to defy being cool. So many need the assurance you live out! - Bill M
It is everywhere — the pull to pretend to be something we are not in order to please others. May God strengthen us with every new challenge (and they don’t end when one finally mark half a century in age!) we face each day, granting us the grace to live out His image in us without apology but always with gentle winsomeness.
I have heard this story before. It always hurts my heart. We are so good at building cages for ourselves as we cry for freedom. Christ offers freedom while we choose to listen to man’s voices. I wonder what became of that little girl?
Thank you Virgil, this was so fun to read about— I think just about Everyone goes through this and then Later we look back and realize how Ridiculous it was to hide what the Good Lord had put in us❣️🙀 Blessings to you and your family and I look 👀 forward to seeing you soon‼️👍💕😻
I look forward to your posts because they are always full of such profound insight and Biblical truth. I always learn, and I am always blessed by your words, but this one was special.
My prayer is that many people will read it and be blessed as I was. Thank you again. ❤️🙏