I have a fear of bats. I have lived in homes in which bats would periodically find their way into my space. Bats were just fine to me when they were outside, but not in my space. I was not willing to share it with them, partly because I do not like things fluttering by my face and they are unpredictable when they are scared. I would cower, crouched in the corner for a while, but then I would put on all manner of homemade body armor and go after the little "rat with wings". My fear turned to indignant intolerance and finally hatred. That bat was just trying to live. It was just as or more scared than was I. It was of no real, credible threat to me. There were other ways of dealing with the situation. Regardless, out of fear and then anger and even hatred I did battle, and to date have never lost one to a bat.
Those encounters made me a different person. Afterward, I had some regret over who I was in them.
I see the growing indignant intolerance of people around me regarding other human beings. It is the same process, though certainly different in scope and in character.
Civility is lost when we objectify others as "invaders" of our space. Our humanity is in danger when we believe that other human beings are not "entitled" to what we have, where we live or to share public forum "space". Our civility as a nation has taken huge hits and our level of humanity has suffered for it.
What is at the center of this unfortunate new normal is FEAR. Those who have developed a sense of "entitlement" and a false sense of "superiority" believe that those spoils are in danger of being taken away from them. A black man was elected President, and the sense of "entitlement" over the race they were born into was threatened in their minds. Some folk have started asking questions and raising objections to disparities in income, and the wealthy feel threatened. Some of the same folk are raising questions and leveling accusations at those who have been in power for a long time, particularly because their being in office is tied to their wealth, and our democracy is at stake. Those in power, with wealth are uneasy.
So, they share their fear. They pass it on. They make efforts to instill fear within the people "below" them, manipulating them to aim that fear, turned hatred at each other.
It is done through the media. It is done with every speech and debate over legislation. It is done in commercials, in the papers, on social media and on the radio. It is done in conversation. The fear is aimed at "those people" who are trying to take away what you have or the power behind who you are. It is done effectively. Immigrants, the poor, unions, anyone not of our ethnicity or race and those of different political ideologies, those who do not share our biases or prejudices, sexual orientation or faith practice. It is easy. If they are different, they are a threat to you. Be afraid. And in stirring up that fear, and in doing it very well, we are pitted against one another so that we will not see the real threat - the ones stirring up the fear, turning it to anger and then finally hatred.
If the only difference between a poor black man or woman and a poor white man or woman is their race, then THAT is the tool of their manipulation. It's all they need in a culture that has grown to be increasingly more xenophobic. If people are of the same "race" but from a different ethnicity or culture, that is all that is needed in a culture so ethnocentric. If people are the same, except for their economic level, our classist society allows the difference to be manipulated. If folk are the same in every other respect, but have a different sexual orientation, the homophobia we are socialized to embrace as "more pure" or "more holy" is used to drive wedges between them.
Out of our fear of those who are different, we allow those who are TRULY threats to manipulate us from fear to anger and then to hatred. Our civility is lost and our humanity at risk because we continue to fail to see the REAL threats to our well-being - a threat to our well-being TOGETHER.
In this election season, ask yourself WHY there is so much blame being leveled at so many, and who benefits from people being pitted against each other out of fear.
We are called to live AGAPE LOVE with one another in Grace, Forgiveness and without Judgment.
"perfect love (agape) casts out fear" - John 4:7-21
Anything else is anti-Christ, regardless of what some person who professes to be "Christian" tells you.
Pastor Jamie
