others

This morning, the news is full of vitriol once again. The Trump administration is outraged that a Federal judge blocked measures it took to aggressively screen for terrorists. Conservatives howl that liberals don’t care if the country is safe. Liberals parade story after story of families separated by this measure. Both sides assume the most malignant motives on the part of the other.

In my devotions this morning, I read of another country that “otherized” a key segment of its population
.
Exodus 1:8-10:  Then a new king, to whom Joseph meant nothing, came to power in Egypt. “Look,” he said to his people, “the Israelites have become far too numerous for us. Come, we must deal shrewdly with them or they will become even more numerous and, if war breaks out, will join our enemies, fight against us and leave the country.”

The king feared the Israelites. Should he have? Even if it was appropriate, were the measures he took, which seem brutally oppressive and even murderous, good ones? The Bible makes the key point that, to this king, Joseph means nothing. This people, after all, were the family of the man who saved the country. But they’re different, so they must be dangerous. Their numbers make the king feel he’ll lose control.

I think I sometimes do that. I look around and think, “We need more people in this meeting who will support (fill in the blank).” Or maybe, “We need to get a better balance on church council,” which is code for mostly people who think like me. I’m counting, fearful that the other side will win based on numbers, just like this Egyptian king.

When I do that, I miss an opportunity to learn and grow from fresh ideas and perspectives. And I subconsciously am wishing for an outcome that will exclude those who don’t think like me. It all comes from a scarcity mentality – the idea that there isn’t enough, so if I don’t fight for my piece of the pie, I might not get any. An abundance mentality, on the other hand, says, “It’s easy to make more pie. There will be enough for everyone.” After all, aren’t we far more powerful and able when we all work together?

In God’s work, the only appropriate mentality is an abundance mentality, because God loves abundantly. He wants everyone to have a seat at the table, and a voice in the conversation. This “otherizing” that I do he sees as the equivalent of a little boy calling his brother “stupid.” Because it is.

I’m hoping today that I can start being more adult about things. When people who think differently raise their voices, it’s because they’re afraid. Maybe if I just listen, there will be a way to calm their fears without compromising anything God values. Because using my values as a yardstick is a bad idea if they aren’t fully aligned with God’s.