Swans and Sober Judgment

January 26, 2011

Dear St. Paul’s Family,

This Sunday, our nine-year old daughter Grace will star in the Cherokee Community Theater’s presentation of Honk!, a musical adaptation of Hans Christian Anderson’s classic fable “The Ugly Duckling.” Gracie has been cast to play a barnyard turkey, which is a role that, in many ways, she was born to play. Jessica and I will watch with pride, of course, although by now we know her lines by heart. We’ve been working with her on her script memorization, her turkey waddle, and the enthusiasm with which she will deliver her final line (“I...SURVIVED...THANKSGIVING!!”)

To familiarize myself with the musical, I re-read Anderson’s story, and was surprised to learn that the original version of “The Ugly Duckling” is much longer, and more nuanced, than the fairy tale I learned as a kid. It is more than just a brief story about an ugly bird that turned out to be a swan. It is a kind of morality tale, in which our little hero goes on a soul-searching journey, a quest for his identity, in the face of sharp criticism and bitter adversity. He endures merciless teasing by the other ducklings, taunting by an elder chief-duck, a near-death experience with some hunting dogs, a harrowing night with a tom-cat, beatings from chickens, chases by a broom-wielding woman, and a night stuck to the surface of a frozen pond, cold and hungry.

Lonely and dejected, with no hope for companionship, the ugly duckling spots some graceful swans flying overhead. With no idea that he is in fact one of them, he charges skyward, toward the flock, certain they will surely beat him to death. But he takes a risk, believing that he would rather spend one brief moment in the company of royalty then continue a life of abject misery.

Well, you know how the story ends. He sees his reflection, realizes his true identity, and is praised by observers for being younger and more beautiful than all the other swans.

A happy ending, right?

Except the punchline from Hans Christian Anderson is still to come. We may be tempted to extract only one lesson from this fairy tale: don’t care about what other people say, and believe in yourself. It’s a fine lesson, to be sure, but it’s not the only one Anderson wants to teach us. Rather than swinging completely from misery to triumph, from humiliation to boasting, the ugly duckling assumes a surprising balance between humility and pride: Then he felt quite ashamed, and hid his head under his wing; for he did not know what to do, he was so happy, and yet not at all proud. He had been persecuted and despised for his ugliness, and now he heard them say he was the most beautiful of all the birds. [1]

As much as there can be truth found in a fairy tale, here is the valuable lesson for all of us: View yourself with a balanced perspective.

I’m reminded of Paul’s letter to the Romans, in which he calls Christians to offer themselves as living sacrifices to God, not to be conformed to the world, and to renew their minds. Then, he writes these powerful words: I say to everyone among you not to think of yourself more highly than you ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned. (Romans 12:3)

It’s as if Paul read “The Ugly Duckling” before writing his epistle. Don’t think of yourself too lowly, but don’t consider yourself too highly, either. Don’t vacillate between low self-esteem and chest-thumping pride. Instead, consider yourself with balance, with sober judgment. With sound scrutiny, and a realistic perspective.

If you want some practical tips on how to think of yourself with sober judgment, here is a quick, four-fold piece of guidance. Keep in mind, you can’t pick and choose; you need to keep all four of these statements in harmony in order to make it work:

1. You are never quite as bad as people say you are. It doesn’t matter what people may say about you, or even do to you. You are not defined by people’s insults, barbs, or personal attacks. Your life has value independent of what other people may think, and you are never quite as bad as what others say.

2. You are never quite as good as you think you are. Lest you swing the pendulum too far the other way, guard yourself against boasting. You know quite well that you always have room for improvement in your life, and you should never feel completely settled in the way you think, act, and relate to others. You are a work in progress, so be open to the Spirit’s constant work within you.

3. You are never quite as good as people say you are. I know, this is a tough one. For those of us – myself especially included – who crave external affirmation as a chief motivator, we should find a solid foundation of humility upon which to base our lives. Nothing steers us away from real, authentic living quite like pretension, solely designed to look good in front of others. So wean yourself off the need for public praise.

4. You are never quite as bad as you think you are. Let me admit: this is the toughest one for me. It’s one thing to understand the concept of grace, and even to define it with precise theological language. It’s quite another to live into it, accept it, and allow it to flow in my life. I suspect that may be the case for you. But God loves you for who you are. And this may sound like a trite, overwrought cliché, but don’t ignore its truth: God did not make a mistake when God created you. You may feel like an ugly duckling, but there is royalty within you: nothing less than the very image of Christ, waiting to shine through.

In the end, Hans Christian Anderson’s story does have a very happy ending. And so it will be for you, if you view yourself with balance, and “sober judgment:” Then he rustled his feathers, curved his slender neck, and cried joyfully, from the depths of his heart, “I never dreamed of such happiness as this, while I was an ugly duckling.”

Grace and Peace,

Magrey

The Rev. Magrey R. deVega
St. Paul's United Methodist Church
531 W. Main St.
Cherokee, IA 51012
Ph: 712-225-3955
http://www.cherokeespumc.org


[1] http://hca.gilead.org.il/ugly_duc.html


WORSHIP THIS SUNDAY
Join us as we conclude our sermon series “Living Your Baptism” with a sermon called, “A Community Comes Together.” We’ll learn how baptism unites us into a common bond as the body of Christ.

MAGREY IN FLORIDA
I am currently in Leesburg, Florida, serving on the Florida Annual Conference Board of Ordained Ministry. I am interviewing and evaluating candidates for ministry, and will be back this Saturday. In the event of an emergency, please contact the church office.

YOUTH SKI TRIP
Back by popular demand! The youth group will head back to Mt. Kato for another fun day of skiing on Saturday, February 19. We'll meet at the church at 6:45am and be back around 9:00pm. The cost will be determined by how much will be raised on February 6, but it should be about the same amount as last year. In addition, we need adults to serve as drivers and chaperones. Interested persons can contact John Chalstrom.

YOUTH FUNDRAISER
To raise funds for their ski trip, the youth will be sponsoring a Super Bowl snack sale on Sunday morning, February 6. People are needed to contributed snacks and treats to be sold that day. If interested, please contact Sue Parker.