Embarrassment

Have you been embarrassed recently? I mean, seriously embarrassed? I suggest that we have all suffered this indignity at some point in our lives, and survived, but it was probably a painful time. The experience is a two way street, because we can either be the source of embarrassment to others, or on the receiving end from someone who perhaps didn’t mean to cause offence. And let’s face it, in both situations embarrassment can cause offence.

There is a third way where we can be embarrassed on behalf of someone else who may, or may not, be aware of your thoughts or feelings as you try to defend them. I would suggest that this feeling on behalf of another, is the hardest type to bear. Ok, I hear you ask for an example of this third kind.

Imagine you have been an integral part of a well run medical or sports team, and you have been in that position for some years before sickness struck and you could no longer hold your position for a short time. So far so good, and I can hear you now say, well, so what? That’s life! But it’s not over yet. Keep your imagination motor running. That group of people are an important part of your life, and you don’t like to hear anyone bad-mouth them, even if it was not meant to be offensive or hurtful!

That protective attitude remains with you, even though very few (if anyone!) from your team either visits or calls, to see how you are doing. That is bad enough, and it hurts, but it really pains when someone else on the sideline asks you directly if your doctor, nurse, or coach has visited, phoned, or been in touch? It is obviously embarrassing as you try to defend them. How do you defend the indefensible after some weeks of a time lapse?

In a similar way could this be one of the reasons that we also lose some good folks from our churches? In other words, we (and I include myself in this) don’t care enough when it really matters to that hurting member? Added to that, there is a clear interest from members of another church group who really are concerned, and let you know it. Would that be enough to make you change your present team, or even your church? Ouch!