Nerdy or Nice?

On my way to a Fourth of July parade I met an old friend.  She told me that her husband and sons were going to be in the parade.  Sheepishly, she confessed that they would be throwing candy from a wagon while a dozen dads followed behind with their push lawnmowers.  “I wonder if it’s okay to encourage my kids to be nerdy,” she said.  I’ve thought about her words a lot.

The week before I attended Quizzing Nationals in Spring Arbor.  I was impressed with the teenagers who had immersed themselves in scripture and could rattle off Bible verses with ease.   All the hours they spent memorizing God’s word meant they had less hours to watch the latest TV shows or memorize the latest songs, which opened them up to the possibility of being labeled “nerdy” by the world’s standards.

In our culture, “nerdiness” is a disease to be avoided at all costs.  Instead, we are encouraged to fit in by buying the same cars, the same-size houses, and the same name brand clothing as everyone else.  Coolness can be achieved by reading the latest novels, cheering for the hottest sports teams, and copying the lifestyles of Hollywood couples.  Heaven forbid that we should be nerdy enough to make our own choices!

The dictionary defines nerd as, “a person who is single-minded or accomplished in scientific or technical pursuits but is felt to be socially inept.” In answer to my friend’s question, I say, “Yes, please encourage your kids to be nerdy.  En-courage them to make choices based on their own values and to avoid being squeezed into the world’s mold.”  Lord willing, they’ll be strong enough to ignore the world’s sneers while single-mindedly following Jesus with all their hearts.

 

 

 

 

 

Comments

[sue logeman]

love this, Hope.

[Marianne DeLano]

Thank God for the nerds in the world cause I am one of them! Great word, thanks for the encouragement to be a nerd!

[Lauralee Stiffler]

Hope, this blog entry is wonderful! Thank you for your thoughtful post!