The Other

February 17, 2024

You are invited to join us in this week's series of Daily Reflections on "The Other."

We tend to "other" those we do not know or understand, or those who are different from us, and therefore threaten us. For example:

Sometimes, we do not identify with people from other countries because their cultures and world views differ from ours.

Sometimes, we do not feel connected to people in other regions of our country because of regional value differences.

Sometimes, we do not value people in other sections of our state as interested in those in our own part of the state because our concerns have priority over theirs.

Sometimes, we do not identify with people outside our town because they don't have our specific civic values and concerns.

Sometimes, we identify with our neighborhood folks more than those outside our neighborhood because our neighborhood is not their priority.

Sometimes, we do not feel kinship with people outside our street as much as with those on our street because our street has to stick together in mutual interests.

Sometimes, we do not talk to our close neighbors because they are different.

Sometimes, we do not trust people outside our family because they are outside our family.

Sometimes, we are alienated from our children or partners because we have value differences with them.

Sometimes, we are alienated from ourselves because we do not know, identify with, or understand certain aspects of ourselves.

Inquiry: Have you ever fallen into one of the above circumstances?

Dear God,

I pray for self-compassion and self-acceptance. If I could be truly whole and self-accepting of all my defects and the things I have yet to understand, I believe I could be more accepting of others who are different from me. Amen

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