The Truth of Our Shared Humanity

rom the moment of birth, we begin observing our environment. We are cared for and taught by parents or guardians who possess more knowledge than we do. They guide our experience and understanding of the world into which we were born. This includes countless lessons on behavior, social skills, language and more. 

As our mind develops, we begin to recognize the presence of nuance in what we may have considered to be a dualistic world. Hopefully, we have knowledgeable people in our lives who are adept at responding to our curiosity by explaining nuisance, qualifying responses and questioning certainty. These lessons facilitate the development of reasoning skills  and wrestle with timeless concepts and ideas. Life provides encounters that lead us to inevitably question what we thought or believed to be true.

Knowingly or not, we are also exposed to the biases of others. The choice to accept them or not is ours. This is often illustrated as we move beyond our primary circle of influence where different perspectives are encountered. These ideas cover seemingly simple and inconsequential matters to grave matters. Simple thoughts may be the best way to peel a tomato or to fold a t-shirt. In truth, multiple opinions may be valid, and no harm is done.

At the other end of the spectrum there are ideas that can be of grave consequence on how to treat people who are identified as “different.” For some of us, the truth of our identity will impact how we are treated. We know this to be true.

Difference includes people who are of another race, color, ethnicity, language, culture, nationality, religion, gender or sexual orientation. These characteristics have been used to create and perpetuate lies denying the humanity of many as history is full of named and unnamed persons beaten, raped, gored, beheaded, crucified, murdered or massacred because someone considering themselves to be superior chose to extinguish the lives of the designated other.

Tragically, these violent attacks continue today in our nation in astonishing numbers. Too often, these incidents are overlooked except by those harmed and their loved ones unless recognized by the national commercial media. Biases against some differences are enshrined into policies and laws designed to harm those on the margins for no valid reason. Even if no longer formally sanctioned, it can take decades of education and goodwill to end common practices that are unjust. Yet, ending unjust practices does not address or heal the trauma of current and future generations.

Imagine if we as a people were encouraged to lean into the discomfort that may be generated by differences. Can we learn to genuinely appreciate diversity as an invitation? With this understanding, we may be surprised to encounter our own compassion, our shared humanity, among those on the margins.