Confronting Racism
Following you will find references and an interpretation of an article in the April 19 issue of the Christian Science Monitor. I don’t always read their Christian Science Perspective feature, but this week I did as it was entitled, “Confronting Racism with God’s Thoughts.” It piqued my curiosity knowing that the change process for anyone begins with their thinking. Step 2 of the Lie of Whiteness reassures that in recovery we: “Came to believe that knowledge and understanding can restore our part in creating a new social order of diversity and inclusion.” This, of course, requires an attitude of both openness and willingness. And so - I read the article. Some may find it arrogant and pretentious to claim that we can “think God’s thoughts” and figuratively speaking, I don’t disagree. Rather, what drew me further into the reading said, “God, and all of us…are inseparable….When we think God’s thoughts, we are seeing the good, love and compassion innate to His universe.”
The article continued, “In the U.S., we are going through a national reckoning around race and identity. Incidents of prejudice and violence, including(those) against Asians, have exposed the complicated status of race relations, despite the progress that has been previously made.” The writer elaborated, “When we think and act on the basis of God's thoughts, we (can) find safety and confidence (in knowing) each of us is precious and unique. We can effectively confront racism when we see that we are all equally embraced in God's love.”
As a result of contemplating this perspective, I realized the more I align my thinking with what would be God’s thoughts about equality and inclusivity, this perspective provides a template for understanding how aspiring to a higher level of thinking is ultimately what the 2nd step is asking us to do in order to change the untenable situation we are living in today.
The traditional 2nd Step of AA states: “Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity.” Isn’t that what each of us is hoping for in this country today? For the insanity of mass and individualized violence to cease? For our neighborhoods to be safe for all people, no matter the color of a person’s skin, their gender, their ethnicity, their religious preference?
The answer, I believe, is a collective “Yes”. No matter what word we choose to call it, we must believe in a power greater than ourselves to restore sanity in our country. Perhaps that power will become the collective YES. Einstein put it simply. “You cannot solve a problem from the same level of consciousness that created it.” Perhaps it is time for us to challenge ourselves by imaging God’s thoughts into reality; by becoming the collective “Yes.”