I was privileged several years ago to be the pastor of a dear woman who had a daughter who was a single mom raising a daughter and a son. They grew up to be strong persons of faith and now have children of their own.
My friend's daughter, like any mother, had to deal with all the challenges that come with raising children. From time to time, for instance, a peculiar mood would kick in, like whining. The son or daughter would bemoan the fact that they had to do their chores or act as if the stars were not aligned to their satisfaction. They did have a propensity to see themselves as the center of the universe.
To all such behavior this precious single mom had a favorite response. She would listen to the complaints of her son and daughter and then say, "Get over it!"
Well world, it is time to "get over it!"
Indeed, it is time for us to get over the prejudiced mindset that has haunted humanity from its inception. I mean by that the psychological need of one segment of humanity to think itself better than another segment of humanity. It has always puzzled me that one piece of humanity has to keep its heel on another piece of humanity in order to feel good about itself. Why is it that we human beings cannot appreciate God's garden of humanity in the same way we appreciate a beautiful garden filled with every kind of flower imaginable?
We, for far too long, have valued people based upon race, religious affiliation or no religious leanings, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, economic/social status. We need only look to the Islamic State and its resemblance to Nazism to be reminded of the ultimate bad fruit of the above-mentioned prejudices. Not to mention Ferguson, Baltimore and Charleston.
Yes, we do need to cherish that which is unique about any/all of us. We do not need a blended humanity. We need a humanity which appreciates differences but is able to set them aside when, as St. Paul reminds us in First Corinthians 12:7, the "common good" is at stake.
In 1969, I returned to my hometown from Vietnam. It was not the Chattanooga of my childhood. And, in the few years that followed, as I would come to visit my parents, the beautiful town of my childhood simply became ugly. Then some wonderful people had a dream. Many of them put their money where their mouths were. And, now look at us. Well, they could have made sure that a Krystal remained downtown.
God has a dream, too. A dream that humanity might get over its propensity to feed off its prejudices and appreciate the diversity of God's own creation. Wow, what a dream.
I have a dream. It is that my beloved hometown would win another award. The award for the city that got over its prejudices.
Douglas Fairbanks has been senior pastor at First Centenary United Methodist Church for three years.