Make the world go away

The old country and western song started Make the World Go Away. And unfortunately, in our modern world, too many people are thinking that way. They don't like people who are different. They see only problems in other countries. If only I was surrounded by people just like me, everything would be just fine. If only the others would go away.

We also have the same ideas about neighbourhoods. We believe that our neighbourhoods are perfect just the way they are. When something bad happens, we always hear people say, "I couldn't believe that that would happen here." If only all neighbourhoods were just like this one.

Well these two assumptions are wrong for the same reason. Yes other neighbourhoods might be troubled. Yes there might be some strife in foreign countries. But the thing is, we always seem to ignore the problems in our own spheres. In my own country, there are many people who are not getting treated fairly. Sad to say but it is true. Women still aren't considered for some jobs. People are discriminated against because of race. Not every boy and girl has a chance to become prime minister.  In my own neighbourhood some people are very rich and doing well. But many are unsure of how they can maintain their present lifestyle. They face crippling mortgages. There are within blocks of me families that endure domestic abuse. There are drug addicts. There are racists. Even my own neighbourhood is far from perfect. My own neighbourhood has as many problems as other places, we just hide it a bit better.

Some people want to erect walls. Keep the strangers out. They see the world as us and them and the us is always right and the them is always wrong. The only problem with this thinking is that no where is perfect. Gradually the walls keep getting closer and to closer to better. All westerners feel this way for instance quickly dissolves into all Australians feel this way when we find out our first assumption is not true and so on and so on till we find out that the only one who thinks exactly like me is me. The same holds true with religion. It is a dangerous assumption to think that all Christians think the same way, or all Uniting Church in Australia folk all think the same way, or even that everyone in a congregation all believes the same thing. To set up barriers with those who are different from us means that all of us live alone. And didn't God in Genesis say it was good that we were not alone.

I saw a poster this week that made me think. I will gentrify it a bit as its language was a bit strong. It said remember that at the heart of everything, we are all earthlings. No matter what language you speak, what faith you practise, what gender you are, or what football team you cheer for (but let's face it if you are from Canada and don't cheer for the Saskatchewan Roughriders you are WRONG!) we are all human. Whether we are Asian, married, Hindu, female, straight, old, European, celibate, athletic, gay, caucasian, Jewish, or whatever term we use to describe ourselves, we are first and foremost human. We need to remember this- we are all in this together- before we set up any more walls or establish more us's and them's.  Blessings.