You can come and join our group; you're just like us...

Going to a school like Harding University (or better yet, HU), I tried to get involved with social clubs as best I could (a private school's answer to the Greek system). It's funny though, whenever I tell someone at work or an acquaintance from a state school what it was like to pledge and be a part of that group, I always feel like Baby Emile hearing it from Rick Latimer in The Principal.

"You're a wuss."

See, I never had to endure beatings or much verbal or emotional abuse. We never demeaned our fellow members or anyone that was pledging. And we certainly never did anything like what I heard about happening at a sorority at DePauw University in Greencastle, Indiana. Read the NY Times article here.

Basically, the sorority chapter of Delta Zeta, who has their national recognition of their 100-year anniversary in 2009, decided to do a little bit of reorganization at DePauw. Apparently, DZ has a reputation for having some of the smarter girls in their fold, such as some of the math and science majors (and if you were in class Sunday morning, you all saw my smart/nerdy correlation graph). Well, in simple terms, the vast majority of the "overweight," those that were not "conventionally pretty women," and the minorities were asked to leave the sorority and move out of the house.

It was covered up by interviewing the women and informing them that they were asked to leave because they were not fully committed to the sorority. Only 12 were asked to stay. Predictably, they were the slender, pretty, blonde girls.

Honestly, I have to ask myself, "How the heck does something like this happen in two-thousand-freaking-seven?!" Are we as a culture and a society still so preoccupied with things like someone's weight, their ethnicity or their appearance that we sacrifice our own dignity and destroy another's sense of self-worth for something as ephemeral and preposterous as a sorority? This story is just beyond belief to me.

So I have something to say to those girls who were labeled and evicted: Come stay with us. You're just like us. Some of you are smart, some are not so smart. Some are in shape, some have work to do. Some are from this country, some are not. Some are outgoing, some like to keep it in. Again, you're just like us.

And let me speak to anyone who is reading this who may have had doubts about themselves or their appearance or how they are perceived and accepted.

First of all, it is hard. It's hard to ignore all of that stuff, isn't it? It's hard to not feel wanted or accepted or loved. It's tough to face people when you have been labeled that way, especially by your friends or your "sisters."

Second, you are NOT defined by what anyone you ever meet says about you. You are wonderfully and beautifully made (Psalm 139:13-15), you are made in God's own image (Genesis 1:26-28) and, if you finish the chapter, God decided immediately that what he made was very good.

Lastly, it is because of who you are and your uniqueness and your undeniably personal qualities that God loves you just the way you are. He doesn't ask you to be someone you're not. If you're shy, He is OK with that; He has other plans for you. If you can't stand your appearance, don't think about it - when He looks at you, God sees the most beautiful thing He has ever created.

If you were put in a situation like these young girls, I am so sorry that it happened. If people can not see what you are worth and instead base their opinions of you on peripheral, foolish things, I can not apologize enough.

So if you want a place where someone will love you and accept you, find us; come hang out with us. I hope we can make it our business to show you how incredible you are.


Ryan