My life is not your life

 The reason why our world might feel so loud right now is because Black and Brown people are screaming for justice!!

   

We can’t deny the need for this. 

We need to get on board for change.  

Denial is the heartbeat of racism.

It’s hard for white privileged people to understand Marginalized people-- while most of us can have some level of compassion, we frame their experiences with our own.  We think of their day to day existence as neutral with some outliers because our life is neutral-- which means we don’t think twice about our race/gender/sexuality/ableness.  The color of my skin is never pointed out, nor do I worry if I can kiss my sweetheart in public, what bathroom to go in or if there’s a wheelchair ramp. The status quo works for me.  

We think our normal world is working for everyone, then when a movement is born and protests happen we think “Geez. Calm down.  Sorry, some bad things happened but why do you have to be so angry? Why do you have an agenda?   What is this protest, looting, violence all about…that’s no way to get things done!  This feels uncomfortable- it’s not peaceful - the Spirit has left so must not be from God.”

We need to remember our experience is ours alone and we cannot keep trying to use ours as a framework for someone else’s.  I grew up thinking I  was “normal” because I was heterosexual/white/able-bodied/middle class etc… I can’t really know what it is like to grow up any other way, so I definitely can’t judge how another should and shouldn’t react …. when another black person dies because of police brutality, or a trans person is mocked, or when the White House tries to limit LGBTQ rights.   

  

 But we can tap into our common humanity and our common struggles.  We can tap into a moment where we felt judged, unseen, misunderstood, isolated, unloved, unaccepted and we can use our empathy when we listen and remember those feelings and amplify them.  We don’t get it, but we sure can try.    

Hope fills the air. 

We can be uncomfortable - (and GOD is in that if it helps us to help his othered children)