How to move beyond what is ‘cultural’ for us…

How to move beyond what is ‘cultural’ for us….

Tolstoy puts it this way - Everyone thinks of changing the world, but no one thinks of changing himself. See you cannot really bring about change in others that is sustaining, distinctive, or legacy building without the awareness change begins with you, or you too will be changed by this experience. We have to do more than check the box of doing what is right, or making sure we have included all the right elements so no one feels unwanted. See, the cultural thing is the way of life for us. It is part of our unconscious, and we act upon it with a seamless effort in completing the task(s) at hand. It is like tying our shoes, or looking both ways before crossing the street, once you arrived at a certain comprehension. It is only when we are to be stretched, challenged do we find a problem. We have assumed all was well because things seem to be at peace but MLK states this - True peace is not merely the absence of tension: it is the presence of justice. Many times we do not have justice as part of the cultural norms, rather we have this uncomfortableness that is our norm where no one is battling; we are grateful. So, anything disrupting this delicate balance we have worked hard to create frightens us. We shy away from it, and now what should be uncomfortable to us, is comfortable for us. We begin to make choices with the focus of showing others where they are wrong, or how much we know. This is done under the guise helping, but we are not. We begin to move things around hoping no one has caught on to the fact; we have not moved anything out. We just rearranged things but everything stayed and nothing new was added. Much like the child who doesn’t want to eat what is on his/her plate and moves the food around until it looks like something was eaten but nothing was. We have not quite grasped seeking a way to get around the issue, does not stop the issue of being an issue; it only creates adds to, and further divides us.  

What we need to move beyond our cultural safe haven, and move to a more expanded worldview. We must understand mull over Dr. King says here - On some positions, Cowardice asks the question, "Is it safe?" Expediency asks the question, "Is it politic?" And Vanity comes along and asks the question, "Is it popular?" But Conscience asks the question "Is it right?" And there comes a time when one must take a position that is neither safe, nor politic, nor popular, but he must do it because Conscience tells him it is right – We must have a conscience awakening, an epiphany moment where we realize, we are not to sacrifice today for tomorrow, but there must be a sacrifice if we desire to have a better tomorrow. Where we see, understand the consequences of our choices do not discriminate and are color blind in impact. For we are all connected, and until we realize it is not about us, it is about GOD. For we can only move beyond our cultural boundaries by letting our truth speak, our humility enlighten, our faith guide us, and submit to our God, otherwise we shall be kept bounded culture that limits us.