In the meantime, I've had some thoughts swirling around my head that I thought I'd share.
The last few weeks have brought some things to light in the world that have my head and heart pretty troubled. I'll be the first to admit that I don't watch the news very often, so I don't know all the details. But I know enough to realize that there is an incredible amount of tension between the black and white communities, and it's not being handled very well. It's really puzzling to me. Have I been living in ignorance my whole life to think that these racial conflicts were a thing of the past? In my world, this all was resolved during the Civil Rights movement. I've tried really hard to live my whole life with the perspective that everyone deserves my respect unless they show otherwise ("innocent until proven guilty", "judge a man not by the color of his skin, but by the content of his character", and all that). I can honestly say that I have never really thought much about a person's race, other than in the context of it being a part of who they are and what makes them beautifully unique. But I've become painfully aware the last couple of weeks that a lot of people don't think that way. And it breaks my heart. Why would anyone EVER think someone is undeserving or lesser simply because their skin is a different color? If you take one second to thing about that, it's completely preposterous! We have all been created by God, and are loved by Him. He specifically made us different and unique and beautiful. The world would be such a boring place if we were all made from a cookie cutter mold. I certainly wouldn't want that. I was talking to my sister about all of this the other day, and I realized something-- maybe, in a very small way, it's easier for me to understand. I don't want people to look at me and automatically define me by my disability. I don't want people to automatically assume things about me, or categorize me a certain way. My disability isn't all that I am. Yes, it is absolutely part of what makes me who I am, but there is so much more to my story. I want people to get to know me for me, and understand my unique perspective on life. And I'm sure that's how black people (and every single human being!) feel. We all want to be known. We all want to feel like we are heard and understood. I think that often when things like this become news worthy, I tend to start looking at it as an "issue". How do I deal with this issue? What should my reaction be, what is the best way to handle it. Who is right? Who is wrong. And then I realized that I don't care. What I need to remember is that this isn't an "issue". These are PEOPLE. PEOPLE lost their lives this week. PEOPLE are mourning. PEOPLE are scared. PEOPLE are confused. PEOPLE are searching for hope, and love, and peace. PEOPLE.
I think we all need to take a moment...breath...think...consider. Are we treating others the way we want to be treated? Genuinely. Take a second to think about that. I know I don't always. I can be so selfish and impatient and cynical. And that's not what I want to be known for. I want to be a bearer of Light. I want others to see a reflection of Christ in my actions. I want others to feel that I value them and genuinely care about them. And if I don't make people feel that way, then what am I doing? Living to please myself? What an empty, pointless existence. Think about the story of the Good Samaritan. He went against every socially acceptable ideal because he saw a PERSON in need. It didn't matter to him what race or nationality the man was. It mattered to him that someone needed help, and he saw that person as an individual instead of a profile. Someone once told me that I should end the day completely drained, and if I am then I'm doing something right. It means I've poured so much of myself into others and into the world that I have nothing left to give. If we each did that, can you imagine what a better place the world would be?
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