I was reading an article the other day that mentioned the phrase “blue-ribbon committee.” I can’t recall the subject of the article, but I would imagine that it included a Really Big Issue and Very Smart And Important People were needed to address said issue. That’s what blue-ribbon committees are for. If you’re anything less than “blue ribbon,” you probably shouldn’t apply.
I don’t know if people get ribbons any more for accomplishments, other than county and state fairs. There is hand-wringing from some people about children getting participation trophies, but I don’t hear much about ribbons being awarded. It inspired me to dig through some boxes and find an old scrapbook that I kept as a pre-teen and take a look at ribbons I received as a child. There were some reds, whites, and blues, but I had forgotten about yellow ribbons (which I think were for fourth place) and green ribbons (for fifth place). You don’t hear much about people calling for green-ribbon committees. “If you’re the fifth best in your field, we want you!” is a phrase not often (ever?) heard.
And yet Jesus was pretty much always surrounded by a green-ribbon committee. “When the scribes of the Pharisees saw that (Jesus) was eating with sinners and tax collectors, they said to his disciples, ‘Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?'” says Mark 2:16. Our culture doesn’t have much time or room for those who aren’t the best, who don’t achieve excellence, who don’t win the blue ribbon. But Jesus–as he often does–stops us in our tracks and challenges us to look more deeply at who we’re connecting with and who we’re giving honor to. If we’re intentional about doing that, we may realize we need to shift our expectations and hopes from blue to green.