Ginny will try to unhook some of these prejudices, but she does not just jump in to smash them or correct them. Rather she is gentle. The biggest example in this chapter is how Blue “almost snarls” when the subject of priests come up. He decries them as fakes, jerks, pretenders to the good. Ginny redirects this negative passion by a simple “not all are that way.” She carefully nudges him in a better direction. She plants seeds that will hopefully grow into something far better.
Becky would not have done this. What would you or I do in such a situation? Would we see the homeless boy and hear his comments about priests (or pastors or whatever) and dismiss him? How about recognizing the shortcoming and giving that good nudge. Ginny was not all up in his face trying to forcefully smash such prejudice out of him. She just says a thing or two and steps back.
When some see lost causes they flee. Others help.
Blue is felt to be a lost cause by Becky, who knows nothing of him. Becky is willing to assume a lot of things. Charlene, Blue’s aunt, also figures he is a lost cause. When Ginny wants to help him better himself Charlene is dismissive. Charlene tries to tell Ginny that Blue will run after a while and to be prepared for it. In Charlene’s mind Blue is a “wild thing.” He is a runner, afraid of connection, a problem.
Another example of Ginny’s healing is that she knows Blue may leave. She believes in him, but knows that him may both dropout of school and disappear from Ginny’s life. She is willing to take that risk though.
Interestingly, Becky does not feel that Ginny is a lost cause. Becky is willing to help out there.
Why does a white woman care for a homeless guy?
That is maybe a cant question. Cliche? Probably, but does that make it irrelevant? To belittle the question does not eliminate it. This is a thing which Blue wondered. It is a thing which Blue’s aunt wonders. They do not get it.
Ginny feels that everybody needs a chance and she wants to be that chance if at all possible. She figured all he needed were some “decent breaks.” Maybe so, maybe this is where the book gets fluffy again. It does not diminish the question though that people around us need help. Are we willing to be a Ginny? Or will we be a Charlene? Are we willing to go out on a limb to give the disadvantaged around us that chance? Are we willing to fail? To be wrong? To look foolish?
It is kind of interesting to read this stuff and be interested in being that person. It is another thing entirely when those moments arrive.
So is this a bad book for Christians?
It is very hard to demean this book. The material is uplifting and real. The paths of two broken people cross and in the crossing come to healing. I am sure some could cast aspersion on this chapter somehow, but it is not necessary to cast it that way.
Other entries in this series
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