Extend Grace

“I cannot cure my own blindness.”

Anonymous

If you were a child of the 70s, or perhaps were raised by one, you are likely familiar with “Schoolhouse Rock!”, the short, educational cartoons that punctuated Saturday morning television. To this day, I think I learned more about grammar from those segments than I did in school (nod to the virtue of a catchy tune and relatable narratives to convey a concept).

Fast forward forty-ish years, unpacking our adjectives remains central to how we relate to the world around us. We have good days or bad days. We like foods that are salty and/or sweet.

The tricky thing is how relative our comparisons are…and how subjective. This might seem obvious when you consider things like height—”She’s tall.”…(compared with whom?). But perhaps it’s less evident when the discussion turns to politics, reproductive rights, ethnicity, voting, or inherent worth.

I would offer that if it is possible to have an opinion about something, that thing or idea is being considered subjectively.

subjectivity (noun) – internal reality.

With the confluence of gross partisanship in politics and technology that has resulted in targeted social media and the 24-hour news cycle, it is easy to perceive our external reality through an unconsciously-biased internal filter.

However, the labels we bestow through adjectives are incomplete. People are not one dimensional.

Should a student who is getting an “A” in math and an “F” in history be characterized as a good, bad, or average student? Are grades the sole determinant when considering a student? What about sports, civics, or the hundreds of invisible battles that humans face while moving through their days?

Recently, I was lamenting that being born into privilege made me less relevant at the human services agency where I volunteer (a notably privileged thing to be thinking). A wise friend reminded me that authenticity and vulnerability are the true determinants of human connection.

As we continue to move through this election season, flu season, and holiday season, my goal is to replace labels with curiosity and supplant divisive judgment with grace. One person’s character is not elevated by diminishing another’s. We are all relevant to each other and can only rise together.

Peace.

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