The words racism, bigotry, and hatred have lately introduced in us a brand new level of fatigue. We have become exhausted of our despair. We are uncomfortable in conversations with loved ones. For many, to have been so mistaken about the deep fears and negative biases still present in our country has been eye-opening and tragic. None of us knows what to do next. It is terrifying to see the violence escalating all around us.
Hold tight. In the end, I truly and most sincerely believe, all shall be well. There is only one true human trajectory and the overall trend is always upward. It has always been upward. So, fear not in that regard. The concern is what to do in the meantime to hoist that natural trend even more in favor of all humanity. Especially now when we need it so badly. Now, while we are most afraid. We need hope. Thankfully, each of us has the capacity to provide some.
The word racism describes a belief that one race of humans is superior to the others. The aspects, implications, and degrees of that belief will vary.
What’s unfortunate is that nearly, if not every, human being is biased. We all have unconscious preferences which dictate our choices. Some things we prefer just because we enjoy them. Some preferences aren’t really preferences so much as more tolerable alternatives to something we dislike or have been taught to fear. We too easily fool ourselves because it’s unthinkable to consider, for some of us, that we might have racial preferences. We are uncomfortable by the stereotypes we resist believing in because we’ve seen examples of them firsthand.
But be careful with that. For we always find what we look for. And we always see what we are shown. We experience more of what we attend to. Are the stereotypes we claim to have witnessed firsthand a truly fair evaluation of an entire group of people? Of course not. But we are human, and we have a great deal of difficulty forgiving ourselves for it. We should, rather, find more loving ways of working around it.
What I’m attempting to say is that it’s not possible to be human without bias. Recognizing that, attempting to be nonresistant to things we cannot change, what can we do to create systems which help us to gently counterbalance our natural biases rather than insist upon conquering them in battle? Or worse, giving in to them?
We have proven to ourselves that we have the ability to compose laws and founding documents which insist upon better angels of our nature than we exhibit at the time they are written. The man who wrote the words “all men are created equal” owned slaves. Does that negate the truth of human equality? Or does it indicate that we are able to imagine better of ourselves than we are consciously aware? That is an impressive trait of our design, to be able to imagine better of ourselves and others. What a perfect thing to have included in our creation. Let’s make good use of it.
So what isn’t racism? Racism isn’t easy to talk about. Racism isn’t about facts. Racism isn’t always easy to notice. Especially in ourselves. Racism isn’t about making a conscious choice to hate. Racism isn’t an absence of love. It’s an absence of information.
We are still accountable for our actions, but how The People respond to crime should be more restorative and informative than retributive. Locking someone up and throwing away the key because they hate doesn’t help them to love. What’s our real motivation here?
Knowing that we all have our biases, what might we do about them if using spiritual teaching to help us decide? What might God wish us to do next?
The answer: Our best. We have to do our best. We have to spend less time marinating in the resentment this issue has brought out in us. We need to spend less time pointing the finger at other people. That is not our best. We need to spend more time getting to know one another and behave in spite of our fears and misunderstandings. That is our best. We need to speak up, but lovingly, when people use unkind words. Be compassionate of their fears or you’ll never reach them. Respond, don’t react. That is our best.
Behave in loving ways on purpose, especially when you’re afraid or confused or angry or inconsolable with grief. That is where real change occurs. It will make you feel much better much faster. The world will shift with you.
Don’t rage against what you wish to go away. Change your thoughts. Turn your cheek. Consider the irony of holding the concept of racism in a more compassionate regard and you will be a better servant of its transformation. Fear not.
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