Odd, at age 34 I have heard this phrase or some equivalent more in the last four months than I had in the previous years combined. It’s a strange phrase to throw at a grown man. I’ve been letting the phrase roll around in my head these couple of days, trying to think of what the intent behind the use of such a phrase might be. Is it meant to make less of the things that I have done? Is it meant to be patronizing? Is it something else? And what am I supposed to do with it?
Do you remember Gabbo? Of course you do. He’s the ventriloquist dummy from a classic season 9 Simpsons episode. He had a catchphrase. “I’m a bad widdle boy”. It was supposed to be charming, a way of diminishing the effect of the mischief that he caused.
Is this what people are trying to do for me? Diminish the impact of my actions? Is that what I need right now? It seems unfair to those that I have hurt to make light of what I have done. Perhaps it’s an attempt to keep me, a walking ball of melancholy, from hurting myself by making less of the matter….
… or it’s meant to make light of me. I’m nothing but a child. My behavior has been childish. That could certainly be seen as the case. But it’s demoralizing to be called a “boy” in any context, it’s particularly damaging for a black male to be called “boy”. I don’t feel like being reduced to that level. I also think about how “bad boy” is something we yell at dogs. Whatever else I may have done wrong, I didn’t pee on the rug. I don’t think anyone meant it this way when it was said to me, but it’s hard for me to not hear it this way at least a little bit.
… but what if my attempts to purge myself of my “bad boy” side are what brought me to this point in the first place? What if the goal isn’t to purge myself of that side but to integrate it fully into my life in a way that doesn’t hurt others. Or what if the point is to have a community of people that knows about my “bad boy” side and holds me accountable, keeps me in check, and loves me despite myself?
Coming to terms with the dark side of myself seems to be my current challenge. I think I’ve expected a certain level of perfection from myself, a level that I simply am not capable of achieving. At least, not capable of achieving on my own. I’m wrestling with this. How do we go about accepting our dark sides, maybe even integrating it into an authentic expression of ourselves, without condoning the selfish actions and desires that spring from that side of our personalities?
So much of Christianity is crazy-making. On one hand we say that we can not achieve salvation without the grace of a loving God and on the other hand we set impossible moral codes for ourselves and others as if we are somehow perfectable. We are not perfectable. Maybe we are to some extent in community, but I don’t know very many perfect communities. It seems to me now, as it always does, that the answer is now and always will be grace. Grace for others, grace for and from our communities, and grace for ourselves.
If you look at the scriptural narrative, all of the Bible’s “good boys” like Noah, Abraham, Jacob, and maybe especially, David, were also very “bad boys”.
The idea our faith should make us perfect is not scriptural. Healthy faith gives people room to be authentic, even when that means revealing flaws.
If it were me, (and I know it isn’t), I would claim the name that works for you. Doesn’t seem that “bad boy” is the one for you.
I don’t even know what your issues are, but that name seems to carry too much baggage.
Blessings on all of our flawed, human, and imperfect selves this Holy Saturday.
I don’t set impossible moral codes for myself or others – Jesus died so we didn’t have to live up to that stuff. I do “try” to love my neighbor and God, but trying isn’t the same as aiming for perfection. And Marci above is correct – the Bible’s “good boys” were all very bad – and God used them in spite of it. As we approach Easter we need to look seriously at our sin, but also most importantly remember that Jesus rises US up out of the tomb of sin and death. Blessed Easter brother – may the gift of the resurrection refresh and renew you!