For many years my work revolved around data. Gathering data, analyzing data, noticing trends, and then turning that information into research papers. After years of doing that work it sort of bleeds into your non-work life as well, or maybe that’s just the way my brain is wired. For example, last fall we went to Florida on vacation. Every morning I would take a 2 to 3 mile long walk. With nothing to do but walk, I would notice the people walking in the opposite direction. What I noticed was that most of the runners were female between the ages of 16 and 35. Occasionally I would see men running but predominantly it was women running. At one point there were so many teen and college-aged women running I thought maybe there was a cross country or track team staying nearby. I’ve seen this same trend of predominantly female runners when I walk in my neighborhood or at nearby parks.
There could be several explanations for this. Maybe women want to get their workout done faster so they choose to run so they don’t have to bother with going to the gym? Maybe men choose other activities besides running? Maybe men are running at times when I’m not walking? There are a myriad of possibilities, but here is my guess. Women feel an inordinate amount of pressure to exercise and stay slim, and this pressure begins at a very young age. When my children were in elementary school they would mention that girls, 8 and 9 year olds, were talking about calorie counting during lunch period.
If we are slim we’re worthy, if we’re overweight we’re not. If we’re perfect we’re lovable, if we’re not then we must be unlovable. Peter says something similar to Jesus when he sees the amount of fish they have caught with Jesus’s help, “Depart from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man." In other words, I’m not worthy of your generosity or your time. You don’t know who I truly am. Jesus doesn’t say,”Oh, I see you’re a little on the pudgy side, let me look for someone else.” Instead he tells Peter, James and John that he has far greater plans for them, they will be fishers of people. He accepts them as they are, he knows they’re not perfect. He knows they have flaws, he even knows that they’re not going to be loyal to him in his final hours. Yet Jesus still wants them in his fold. If we keep looking outwardly for validation of our worthiness, we will not find it because perfection is the expectation. We will always be running and never cross the finish line.
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