Let me be real with you: I really believe that we live in a world that is severely lacking in love and that upholds a lot of twisted, unhealthy, harmful and downright oppressive ideas, beliefs and values.
As a world, we're sadly racist, sexist, classist, ableist, heterosexist...I could go on and on, but I truly feel in my heart that all of these oppressive systems are completely devoid of love, and since God is love, I have come to the conclusion that they are not of God. I truly feel that they are sin at its worst--not only do they harm the individual and make it extremely difficult to see and love God's children the way He does, but they harm the world. They harm everyone--they separate us from God, from each other and from the people God created us to be.
After coming to this conclusion, I decided that it's of utmost importance for me to live a life and be a person who challenges, rebels and rejects these oppressive systems. And I feel that the best way to do this is by walking in love (I'll explain in detail how I go about doing that in another post).
But even with all of this in mind and heart, I still catch myself thinking, being and doing problematic things. Sometimes, I think back and realize that something I said in a conversation was sexist or that a thought I had was classist and I have to call myself out, acknowledge my privilege and figure out ways that I can educate myself so that I can move through the world without thinking, being and doing those problematic things again. I think about what I can do to work towards change and walk in love instead of hate.
Sometimes, my privilege blinds me (and that's no excuse because I know better) and causes me to say, think or do ignorant things without considering the reality we all live in and how my privilege in certain areas affects my views and experiences.
I spend a good amount of time calling myself out and acknowledging that I have a long way to go.
If I'm being real with you, I have to say that sometimes--I'm problematic. I do, think and feel problematic things and the reality is that we all are problematic to some extent. It's just a reminder that we all have been raised in a toxic, problematic society.
And in this problematic world full of -isms, we will always be a work-in-progress, and that's okay--just don't give in to this world. Keep walking in love. Keep challenging, rebelling and rejecting. Call yourself out and open yourself to being called out. Listen to what others have to say. Educate yourself and allow yourself to be educated. This is a process.
I intend to continue to do these things and I know that I am a never-ending work-in-progress, but that's better than never progressing at all.
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