A Word on Privilege

At my community's sermon on Sunday, there was an exercise demonstrated. Now before you jump to conclusions, please listen with an open mind.

The children were called to the front of the service. They sat in a half circle and were given two pieces of paper. There was a box placed at one end. The leader instructed that the children crumple one pieces of paper, and shoot it into the box. The advantage was to the children who unknowingly sat closest to the box. The leader asked how the children could make this more just for everyone. If the box move to everyone, everyone would have a fair chance. The second round was much more successful. This beautifully demonstrates privilege. Privilege is sometimes as simple as this. However, it is many times much more complex and not easily recognizable to those on the receiving end.

Privilege comes in many forms, anything that makes you more desirable in a social setting. Have you ever traveled somewhere you don't speak the language or you have a thick accent of a foreign place? Did naturalists treat you differently? How about beauty or age or gender? Did you receive something because of a social status that is not available to everyone? A large one that many people will experience in their lives is agism. When you reach a certain age, you may lose respect, becoming just an old person, "losing your mind." Or how about a young person who is not taken seriously?

And yes, race is a privilege. If someone holds an unconscious bias that "black people are lazy," and if any part of you believes that true, you are going to unconsciously treat that person differently. If a cultural name promotes mocking, a person is going to be treated differently. Cognitive dissonance is a term that describes that when a person believes something and is presented with contrary evidence, the evidence will be ignored. This is a real term, that anybody and everybody (author included) is subject to, if not aware of held beliefs that are actively challenged.

So what is the solution? There is a thought that if you focus on the problem, the problem only grows. I believe that we definitely should be solution oriented. But we must also acknowledge the experience and the challenges unique to each person. When you deny a person's trials, you deny their truth and their experience. It is not your right to tell someone when to get over something. Respect, acknowledgement, love and understanding are the only ways to peace and unity. Telling someone that they are wrong for being upset and denying their feelings is only counter productive.

I believe in #WorldPeaceNow
<3xo
Sarah R Anderson