Dark-eyed terror

Bullying is a huge topic these days. It’s been brought to national attention with young students committing suicide because they can’t stand the bullying in their school. This is terrible! And if it’s your kids who are being bullied, you’d be all the more concerned.

Got kids who are being bullied? Listen to this story:

She was the dark-eyed daughter of the village barber – small, stormy, an economy-sized carbon copy of a movie-star beauty seen through the wrong end of a telescope. She was also the terror of the tiny tots and the ringleader of the “big kids” in the third grade.

Pat and Peggy, regular victims of the dark-eyed terror, come home crying almost daily. Determined to break this cycle, Dad came up with an idea. “Let’s have a party,” he said.

Pat and Peggy’s tears dried up magically. Right away, they got creative: “Ice cream, cake, big red balloons!”

“And friends,” Dad added.

The tears started again. “We don’t have any friends,” Pat blubbered. “Nothing but enemies,” wailed Peggy.

An inspiration hit Dad. “Let’s have an enemy party. Let’s invite all your enemies – especially the worst ones – and we’ll fill ‘em up with cake and ice cream, and give ‘em big red balloons to take home.”

Peggy and Pat looked at each other and rolled their eyes in a “what’s with Dad?” expression.

But Dad kept encouraging them, and they did their part.

The enemy party was a wild success. And the “terror of the tiny tots” had the best time of all. She ate ice cream and cake, got a big red balloon, and rolled on the floor in delight.

Pat and Peggy never came home crying again. Their greatest enemy became their greatest friend and protector.

One day, the former terror’s father dropped by and asked why his daughter had been invited to the party. “Well,” Dad said, “She’s a solid citizen who likes ice cream and cake and big red balloons. Why not?”

“You know,” her dad said, “No one had ever invited her before. You have no idea what a difference it’s made!”

That enemy party had a lot of love mixed in with the ice cream, cake and big red balloons.

Edwin Markham’s famous poem summarizes the power of love:

He drew a circle that shut me out,

Heretic, rebel, a thing to flout.

But love and I had a wit to win:

We drew a circle that took him in.

James W. Zackrison, from the book “Practical Spiritual Gifts”, wrote, “There are many bullies today who are all grown up. Now they use power and money to instill terror and make lives miserable.”

I have my own experiences with such people. Reason is out of their league. They feed on others’ weakness. They use pride, ego and brute power to hide their deep insecurities. You’ll find them in the work place, in public service and even in religious institutions.

When Jesus tells us to love our enemies, it seems like an impossible thing to do. But there’s wisdom there: First, loving them will drive them crazy; second, it keeps us from becoming like them.

Bullies are not beyond God’s reach. I used to be one, but God has changed me. Got somebody bullying you or your kid? Pray for him or her, and try to love the person. At best, they will be changed; at the very least, you’ll drive them crazy!

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