This morning, I ready this BRILLIANT article on the subtleties of racism, written by an African American man named John Metta. (Please take the time to read it here! Lengthy, but explains the concept in a very masterful way!!!) It made me look at all the little things I ignore about society that truly have racist undertones.
Separation is not just a racial thing. It is a gender thing. It is a political thing. It is a religious thing. It's a socioeconomic thing. It's a cultural thing. It's a homophobic thing. There are so many ways we distance ourselves from one another, so many ways we keep ourselves from our own wisdom and our own power. And that's where the problems begin.
Because we are so caught up in our "identities" we have forgotten we are connected individuals. We have forgotten that what happens to one of us happens to all of us. We create division where there is none. In doing so, we forget our own humanity. We mistreat those we perceive as different from ourselves merely as a consequence of having those perceptions in the first place.
It doesn't have to be that way. I have always been fascinated by other cultures (my parents were great examples of introducing me to things different from myself). Back when I was teaching PreK, I made a friend of one of my student's mothers who came in to help with class parties and such. She was Indian and Hindu and a really sweet and loving person. I had many discussions with her about topics such as arranged marriages and religious ceremonies. This was back in the time I was still caught up by Christianity in many ways, although I loved trying to understand the perspectives of others.
There was one day my friend explained to me about a holiday they were celebrating. The story behind the celebration was that God's wife had been stolen by some evil god at their wedding. The holiday commemorates her return. I found it intriguing because, in Christianity, the church is often associated with the bride and Christ is known as the bridegroom. The church is stolen by the evil one to be eventually taken back by the bridegroom. I mentioned it to my friend at the time. She thought the parallels were interesting as well.
My friend really touched me at Christmas time that year. She had given me a bag full of treats for Christmas from herself and her son. Most of what she gave me I can't recall now, but one gift stood out. It was a small picture frame with three openings for pictures (because I have three children). On one corner of the frame was a Christian cross. Even though we came from very different backgrounds and cultures, we had a mutual love and respect for one another. She was honoring me with something she knew to be important to me. The fact that she was Hindu and I was Christian did not matter.
It is time to begin getting to know your neighbor. Allow yourselves to get to know your fellow human in new ways. Ask about cultural traditions and food preferences. Discuss things you both like and things that make you both happy. Question all those things that make a person tick and be willing to lay judgement aside. We all have different spiritual journeys. If you expect others to honor your journey you need to be willing to honor the journeys of others.
Our differences do not have to separate us from each other. As we open ourselves up to understanding, know that their experiences can also be yours. We can all learn from each other and grow ourselves through accessing the knowledge of others.
Breaking down barriers does not have to be a scary, difficult process. Recognize the humanity of each one. Understand their experiences are for their own personal growth. Be willing to honor their journeys as they, in turn, honor yours. We truly are in this together. By acting in ways that benefit the whole we come into our full inheritance of love, joy, peace and abundance. By taking down the walls that separate, we come into our own power.
~CSE
Separation is not just a racial thing. It is a gender thing. It is a political thing. It is a religious thing. It's a socioeconomic thing. It's a cultural thing. It's a homophobic thing. There are so many ways we distance ourselves from one another, so many ways we keep ourselves from our own wisdom and our own power. And that's where the problems begin.
Because we are so caught up in our "identities" we have forgotten we are connected individuals. We have forgotten that what happens to one of us happens to all of us. We create division where there is none. In doing so, we forget our own humanity. We mistreat those we perceive as different from ourselves merely as a consequence of having those perceptions in the first place.
It doesn't have to be that way. I have always been fascinated by other cultures (my parents were great examples of introducing me to things different from myself). Back when I was teaching PreK, I made a friend of one of my student's mothers who came in to help with class parties and such. She was Indian and Hindu and a really sweet and loving person. I had many discussions with her about topics such as arranged marriages and religious ceremonies. This was back in the time I was still caught up by Christianity in many ways, although I loved trying to understand the perspectives of others.
There was one day my friend explained to me about a holiday they were celebrating. The story behind the celebration was that God's wife had been stolen by some evil god at their wedding. The holiday commemorates her return. I found it intriguing because, in Christianity, the church is often associated with the bride and Christ is known as the bridegroom. The church is stolen by the evil one to be eventually taken back by the bridegroom. I mentioned it to my friend at the time. She thought the parallels were interesting as well.
My friend really touched me at Christmas time that year. She had given me a bag full of treats for Christmas from herself and her son. Most of what she gave me I can't recall now, but one gift stood out. It was a small picture frame with three openings for pictures (because I have three children). On one corner of the frame was a Christian cross. Even though we came from very different backgrounds and cultures, we had a mutual love and respect for one another. She was honoring me with something she knew to be important to me. The fact that she was Hindu and I was Christian did not matter.
It is time to begin getting to know your neighbor. Allow yourselves to get to know your fellow human in new ways. Ask about cultural traditions and food preferences. Discuss things you both like and things that make you both happy. Question all those things that make a person tick and be willing to lay judgement aside. We all have different spiritual journeys. If you expect others to honor your journey you need to be willing to honor the journeys of others.
Our differences do not have to separate us from each other. As we open ourselves up to understanding, know that their experiences can also be yours. We can all learn from each other and grow ourselves through accessing the knowledge of others.
Breaking down barriers does not have to be a scary, difficult process. Recognize the humanity of each one. Understand their experiences are for their own personal growth. Be willing to honor their journeys as they, in turn, honor yours. We truly are in this together. By acting in ways that benefit the whole we come into our full inheritance of love, joy, peace and abundance. By taking down the walls that separate, we come into our own power.
~CSE
No comments:
Post a Comment