02/20/06

Wells talks of status in Chapter 6. Some of it made sense, and some of it was very hard to follow.

Wells talked about how people have inherent status, and also have a status that they try to imply to others. He also compared status to a seesaw. If I were to build and bring myself up, it would only be at the expense of someone else. I have experienced this much in life. If I remain selfish and try to speak of my accomplishments and well-being, then I would have to be doing one of two things. Either I would be building myself up, making the other person seem much lower in status, or I would be putting them down to make myself seem much higher in status.

Wells talks about how status is present in every interaction between people and is chosen by oneself rather than the other. I have felt this occurrence many times as well. As a Christian, I feel that I need to be aware of my projection of status. I need to remain approachable and selfless. The first things I say and the way I give myself off can make or break an interaction with someone.

The comparison of the church with status is Wells’ general argument and conclusion for chapter 6. First, it needs to be recognized that status is very apparent in the church. I believe that the church needs to step away from the idea of status and concentrate on its purposes and people – not focusing on the building or the politics. People need to be attracted to the church, but people also need to feel impacted by the church in a positive way.