Balcony People

A few years back I was at our monthly prayer breakfast. We met over sausage and bacon baps, piping hot tea and coffee, catching up with friends and sharing news of recent days. After breakfast we moved into the room that was to hold our prayer meeting, set up as beautifully ambient as usual with a simple focal point of a plaque, a cross and a candle, ambient praise music in the background, I’m sure you can imagine the scene.

Then I heard it. A quote from a book. Balcony people.

What are balcony people? Well before I explain I guess I must also point out that there are also basement people. It may be a bit confusing now but it will make sense, I promise.

Do you know when you see someone walking into the room and your heart just lights up, because this is the sort of person that a small conversation with can brighten up your whole day. They are the Balcony people, who lift you up when you are feeling down, they lift your mood, your heart, they encourage you and help you. It could be a friend, family, a work mate or someone from church, even the minister or curate.

Or the opposite, when you look at the people you know and think “wow that person really drags me down!”? Their name flashes up on the screen of your phone and you sigh inwardly? Well that person could be called a Basement person, because they pull you down, they affect your moods and wellbeing negatively. It could be a friend, family, a work mate or someone from church, even the minister or curate.

This got me to thinking about people I know, and whether they are Balcony people or Basement people. But even more so, it got me looking at a mirror of sorts, into the sort of person I am. Am I a balcony person? Am I a Basement person?

Well I guess if I’m honest, I’m both. I think we all have scope to be both of these types of people. You see, to the balcony person in my life, trying to help me up, maybe I’m resisting them. When they are pulling me up, maybe I’m fighting their good advice, their help and encouragement. I might doubt that they really believe I’m worth anything, and allow myself to be a deadweight when they try to lift me. In this respect, I guess I would be a basement person to that kind balcony person, because I run the risk of dragging them down to where I am.

And what about the people who I could consider to be basement people? They have many names, energy vampires, light switch friends, we have all heard these terms and thought on a person or two they could apply to. The people that we only see when they want something, or those who demand more of our time and energy and resources than we have to give. Those who take and take, giving little or nothing in return. Pretty annoying, right? Maybe, but maybe these are then people for whom we get to be balcony people. Instead of that irritated sigh, maybe we could embrace the attitudes of those who are our balcony people, lifting up anyone we meet, yes even those who drive us nuts!

You see, this isn’t about assessing how much better you are than others, nor is it a label by which to devalue your self worth. Its a way to visualise the effect you have on those around you and the effect they have on you, and a chance to focus your intentions a little more to be like the ultimate balcony people, our Lord God, his Beloved Son Jesus and the Holy Spirit. What a balcony that must be!

Jesus came to earth, he walked among us as a human and what a balcony person he was!! He didn’t only lift up those who he deemed worthy, or those who fit his “ideal” of what a good person should be. He lifted up man and woman alike, young and old, those who lived humble lives of service to God and those who led broken, sinful, promiscuous down right messed up lives. He lifted up people who others deemed lower than low. If basement people could have a basement these guys would have been in it! No sin was too great.

We could learn a thing or two from that couldn’t we? All too often, someone slights us in some way and it is enough for us to turn our backs on them, and all of a sudden, we who consider ourselves balcony people find ourselves being someones basement!

I know I am certainly going to try and become more self aware and more aware of how Jesus would treat the Balcony people AND the Basement people in my life, and I’m definitely trying to stop fighting against the ultimate balcony people, let go of my human stubbornness and allow Jesus to change my life for the better.

I’m also going to add Joyce Landorff’s book “Balcony People - From the Heart” to my reading list!