Last week our Zoom Book Chat (ZBC) group held our monthly session. Our assignment this time was to share what piece of advice or information or other thoughts we would pass on to a grandchild, or to any younger person coming up behind us regarding racial reconciliation/social justice.
As you may recall from my last blog post,
“Grandmother,” I have recently become one. (Quick update: My husband and I did
indeed drive to the airport and fly to Washington to meet Baby John when he was
nine days old. So glad we did. He’s perfect. I can hardly wait to see him and
his parents again in October.)
Thinking about being a grandmother, I picked the ZBC discussion
topic. It sounded pretty good at first. But I was a little stymied
about what I myself would say.
I’m hoping racial strife and social injustice are long
resolved by the time any grandchildren start paying attention to the world around them. I hope it’s all
a thing of the past. I hope that people really do judge one another by their
character and not by the color of their skin. I hope that all the built-in advantages
of having white skin have been distributed fairly to everyone. I hope that there
really is equity and justice in the way people are treated when they apply for get a job,
or have a run-in with the law, or try to access food, or look for medical care, or cast
their vote.
Unfortunately, I’m not very optimistic about these
hopes being fulfilled, even in the lifetime of anyone I might talk to about
them. Maybe because I’m about to start my eighth (yikes) decade on this planet,
I’m just more world-weary and pessimistic. And I have to say that some of the
young people who are in my sphere seem to have radically different ideas about
what I think about racial and social justice issues. There is something about this
struggle for justice that seems like the closer you get to your goal, the
farther it appears to be.
So, assuming that the world in a few years will not be
a noticeably more just, equitable and loving place, what would I “advise” a
younger person?
1. Be
empathetic. Try to always imagine how you would feel in another person’s place.
How would the words you’re about to say fall on someone else’s ears? What would
you do in this particular situation? How would you want others to treat or
respond to you?
2. Assume
the best about other people, rather than the worst. Do all you can to resist
judging others, unless you are actually a judge.
3. Make
it a point to learn about other people. This includes their own circumstances
and background, but also the larger picture of their culture and history.
4. Be
humble. Be willing to admit you’re uninformed or misinformed or – horrors – just plain wrong about
something.
Perhaps I would just pass on some of my personal
maxims (that I try to observe, even if I fail often):
Love the Lord your God
with all your heart, and with all your soul and with all your mind. And love
your neighbor as yourself. – Jesus
What does the Lord require of you? To do justice, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God. – Micah
“Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better.” – Maya Angelou
** Photo by Andrea Piacquadio from Pexels
