Let's Talk About What Makes You Odd

One of the stories we're exploring in our online book study this week (you can join us here) is about an assassin who ends eighteen years of oppression for the ancient Israelites under a tyrant king.

Who said the Bible was boring?

The assassin's name is Ehud, and he's one of only three people in the pages of Scripture we know to be left-handed. In Judges 3, we find the fascinating details of how he kills a massively overweight King Eglon and ushers in eighty years of peace.

The fact that Ehud is left-handed is more than a passing detail. Eglon's guards would have searched for weapons when he came in, but Ehud kept his dagger on his right thigh instead of his left, and they likely didn't check there because most people weren't left-handed. As Rob concludes, "It's his oddness that allows him to sneak a sword in to kill the king and liberate his people" (What is the Bible, 68).

I wonder if Ehud had ever resented his being left-handed in the years before this? Ironically, three of the seven people in my immediate family are left-handed so I've had the chance to see things from their eyes. And I'm reminded every time they need to use scissors that the world is often not designed for them.

Perhaps Ehud had wished things were different for him? That he could be more like everyone else? Most of us tend to wish away our oddness, not realizing that it may be the thing that makes our story unique. 

These days, I feel most aware of my oddness when I wonder where I belong in the larger Christian culture. To be vulnerable with you, it often feels as if I don't fit. I sometimes despair about whether my years of schooling and career experience are now irrelevant to my desired future. But I keep trying new things and exploring where I see opportunity.

As a result, I find that the people I tend to resonate with the most are self-identified "recovering evangelicals" who have either left the faith completely or are wondering if they can still believe in Jesus without all the junk of American Evangelicalism.

I was reminded of this last week from two random commenters on TikTok who responded to a clip I posted:

"I left the church a long time ago because of the low key hatred there was. This is something refreshing! Thanks for pointing out something that should make them [Christians] think twice about their judgments! 💙"

"I’m not a Christian anymore but I just wanted to say Thank You. It’s not often I see Christians on here who actually know Christ and his teachings. That was part of the reason I left the church."

Perhaps it's my oddness—and the fact I'm not quite sure where I belong these days—that best positions me to make a difference. And I suspect the same is true for you.

What oddness have you recognized in your own life? (Hint: think about possible insecurities or things you'd want to change about yourself to help find this answer). What would it look like for you to use it as a defining strength?

I don't think we need to use our oddness with violence as Ehud did, but perhaps we could also make our most significant difference precisely in the area that's most odd about us.

Photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash