Blaze Orange and Believeability

I'm not even sure believeablity is a word. Maybe credibility would be a better word. Regardless, the point is this: When you wear blaze orange clothes, people notice you, but they don't necessarily beleive you. Today, I over slept. My lateness was compounded by the fact that my car wouldn't start. That it was bad was compounded by the fact that it was cold and raining. All of the above seemed to be aggravated by the fact that the only jacket I had on hand was my blaze orange hunting jacket.

I like my blaze orange hunting jacket. It is simply blinding. It's almost a neon orange. Everywhere that I went today, people noticed me. They saw me. They stared at me. I'm not sure, but I think one little boy pointed at me from the backseat of his mom's car. There was simply no mistaking that I was in the area with this blaze orange blazing away. Now I confess that what I'm about to write is purely speculative. I have no way of veryifying or proving what I'm about to say, but I think the very people who noticed me also judged me and figured me to be some kind of incompetent, back-woods bafoon. One small group of friends even laughed at my ensemble selection of bluejean and orange. The others, though, gave me that all too familiar look down the nose that communicates their perceived superiority to one such as myself. The one decked out with the blaze orange.

What I'm talking about is credibility. Just because a person is visible, famous or in a position of power doesn't necessarily mean s/he is credible. There is no question in my mind that I was visible, but I do wonder what people thought about me in my blaze orange. I doubt anyone would have picked me to offer a theological discussion about the trinity, today. On the other hand, I could have been picked for the buck skinnin' contest. The true is I would have done well in the theological discourse and probably failed miserably in the buck skinnin' contest even though I looked more like a buck skinner than a preacher. Credibility is determined by one's character and ability, not his appearance. The next time you view someone else from down your nose, remember that he might be a buck skinner or a preacher in desguise. We need to view folks like God views folks - from the inside out, not the outside in.