Caricature versus Character

Caricature versus Character

As Pentecostals, did we really get to know people? Did we learn the strange little things about individuals like why they do a particular thing, and that maybe they learned some neat insight from their parents? Pentecostals are extremely deficient in getting to know people other than Pentecostals. People outside of Pentecostalism are really abstractions to them, and they are not really real. They are simply targets for conversion or instruments of the devil. How can we learn about people, get to know them, and love them, if they are agents of Satan or targets for conversion? Think about that.

Well, we reduced people to caricatures in Pentecostalism. What is the difference between a drawing of a person and a caricature of a person? A caricature (commonly called a cartoon) focuses upon a few features of a person, and artistically exaggerates them for effect – sometimes humorous or sometimes cynical. Thus, Pentecostalism looks at outsiders and reduces them to caricatures – taking some of their ideas about a person, exaggerating it for effect. But, they do not make the effort to get to know the person, to examine and draw a true, accurate picture of the person in their minds. They do not dive into the depths of humanity and examine the character of a person. How many times did we miss out on an interesting conversation with a strange person because as Pentecostals, we had this cartoon image in our minds about these people and we could not look beyond our own blindness – our caricature of these people? How many times we laughed at people – Catholics for instance – before we really got to know the depths of the feeling and beliefs of these Catholic people? How often did we laugh at the hermit – the person who was somewhat withdrawn or quiet – because we had this caricature of a hermit in our mind, but we did not look beyond the caricature to the drawing of the person who was lonely?

Humanity runs very deep. Drawing a person in serious detail requires much effort in studying the person’s face. If we are to get to know people on the personal level, we must look to these interesting details. What did their parents do? What did they look like? What were their occupations? Where did they live and travel. What are the strange and exciting ways of food preparations that are long held traditions in their family? What was the landscape like in their hometowns? What are their health problems?

Get to know people. Really get to know that strange person. He might have a wealth of knowledge and conversation to offer you. We must learn as Ex-Pentecostals to get beyond our caricatures of people and move to their characters – their unique and strange ways. We must explore the depths of humanity – to look beyond and below the cartoons of people and really get to know that person for the first time. There is a wealth of richness out there in the depths of humanity. We must have to look for it. People are out there waiting to tell their story. Let us look and listen.

Move beyond the caricature, to the intricate work of art that is humanity.

JPI