Meet
Charlie Gunboat! Charlie comes from that section of town no one wants to
live in. Just living in this area
works hard while mom watches all the kids and tries to keep order in the
house. Nonetheless Charlie's family has
a hard time meeting the necessary expenses and there is nothing left for
extras. (Charlie doesn't know what he
doesn't have and can't have yet.)
Charlie's parents love each other
and him. They provide for him the best they can. Charlie is happy at home
and
doesn't realize that all homes aren't just like his. Charlie's happy world
took a few bumps his first year in school.
First he learned that other kids had things he didn't have. When he asked
his parents if he could have some of these
things he always got the same answer; maybe later, but we can't afford
them right now. What does afford mean
anyway? When is later? School is almost over and later hasn't arrived yet.
It would be neat to have a pair of those
new sneakers and an NFL jacket before school was out. Maybe later would
come before school was out! Charlie sure
hoped later would come soon, he wouldn't need these things once school was
out and there was no one to show them to.
By the third grade Charlie knew
later would probably never arrive and that can't afford meant no. He is
much more aware of what he doesn't have. He has also begun to understand that the
"neat" kids wouldn't want to live where he does. Charlie spent the night with a friend from school this year. Wow! The
things this family had in their home. They had
carpets on all the floors and two cars. Charlie was impressed. He was also
ashamed of who he was and where he
came from for the first time in his life. He didn't accept any more over
night invitations for fear he would be expected
to invite someone to spend the night at his home. It was never possible
for Charlie to go to parties either. He didn't want to have to invite anyone to his home for a party. Buying even a
small present would be impossible too. He never had
any money of his own and his parents always told him they couldn't
"afford" extra things.
The fifth grade was one of the
hardest for Charlie. He had done well in the other grades but the more he
learned the
more he resented his home and the more aware he became of the environment
his family lived in. It didn't help that
many of his classmates made fun of him. If they weren't laughing at his
clothes, it was his hair. He didn't have to turn
down invitations anymore because no one invited Charlie to anything.
Charlie became lonely and depressed.
Charlie found a solution to many
of his troubles in the seventh grade. One of the "popular" boys
was putting Charlie down after school. Charlie tried to walk away, but this boy wouldn't back
off. Finally Charlie blew up totally. He turned on the
other boy who was twice his size and began to pound him with both fists.
To Charlie's surprise the other boy began to
cry and run away almost from the first blow. Charlie felt the pride rise
in his heart for the first time in many years. He had
beaten someone at something. All the way home Charlie runs instant replays
of the encounter through his mind.
Charlie has been taught that
fighting isn't the way to solve anything. His Sunday school teacher has
taught the lesson
about turning the other cheek. His parents will probably punish him when
they find out he started a fight. They have told
him before that he isn't to start any fights. They have also explained
that words aren't a reason to hit someone and that
Charlie is to walk away rather than hit someone first. Charlie decides he
will just keep his episode to himself and stay
out of trouble with his parents. Charlie walks around school a bit
taller the next day. At recess two boys tell Charlie that he shouldn't
have hit their friend
and they are going to get him after school. Without warning Charlie turns
and hits the closest boy with a solid right to the
nose. The boy's face is covered with blood instantly. For just a split
second Charlie is afraid he has really hurt the other
boy. But, only for a second as he begins to swing at the second boy who is
rapidly retreating from the scene.
Our hero finds himself in the
principal's office and he isn't as bold now. He is scared of what the
principal is going to do
and even more afraid of what his parents are going to say later. Charlie
"lies" about what happened. Charlie tells him
one boy was trying to hold him while the other hit him because he had hit
one of their friends the day before. He says
that he "bumped" the boy holding him with his head while he was
trying to get away and didn't really hit him on purpose.
The boy with the bloody nose isn't hurt and both admit they were out to
get Charlie. The principal lets Charlie off with a
stern warning about fighting. This time Charlie does tell his parents he
was in a fight. However, he tells his version of
the event and that the principal didn't punish him since the other boys
"started" the fight and he didn't mean to hurt the
other boy.
We have just witnessed the birth
of a bully and the circumstances of life have an effect on the life of a
boy for many years
to come. The incident with the two boys was the last actual fight Charlie
has been in for several years. As with all stories
this fight got bigger every time it was told. One version had Charlie
taking on six boys at once. Charlie did his part to
embellish the details every chance he got. He is far from the biggest boy
in school, but he has the reputation of being
the meanest. No one is anxious to test his ability against the
"lightning speed and deadly accuracy of Charlie's fists."
No one laughs at Charlie anymore
either (not where he can hear or see them anyway). Charlie always has a
chip on
his shoulder and loudly proclaims his intent to pulverize someone at the
slightest provocation. Charlie has learned that
the treat is as good as the deed in most circumstances. He pushes everyone
to the limits. He seems to have acquired an uncanny ability to know just who he can push how far with the passing
of time. His targets are always smaller than him
now and his verbal attacks are in places where others don't want to cause
a scene nor have to defend themselves.
Charlie gets his way most of the time.
How do we deal with someone like
Charlie?
Can we be friends with him?
Do we want to be his friend?
Can we help Charlie?
Yes, we can be friends with
people like Charlie. As Christians we should want to be friends with
Charlie, he needs our
knowledge of Jesus more than anyone else. We can help Charlie and if we do
what God expects us to do in these
circumstances. We can make a difference before Charlie ruins his whole
life. As one of Charlie's classmates you can
do all these things. You can be a powerful force for change when you allow
God to use you to reach the Charlie
Gunboats of this world. No other person in the world has the same chance
of being an effective witness to Charlie
that you have.
What are some ways you can help
Charlie?
(c) 1st EPC
Clover June 2000
|
