A couple weeks back I became aware of a movement called “Facial Equality”. The aim is to create an awareness that everyone should be treated fairly no matter their appearance. I completely agree with that premise but some of the thoughts downstream became too ambiguous and, I would say, imbued with language that ultimately undercuts and hurts people with facial disfigurements and every single one of us.
In an effort to encourage inclusivity there were calls to “look beyond appearances”and “see the heart”. But, can we adequately see the heart without looking at their face first?
Smiling women, with faces disfigured from acid attacks, an interracial couple in the 50’s, and a black woman standing in protest against prejudice and racism. If those women were frowning and hidden away, if that couple was from 2020, if the woman holding that sign was white, it would change our perspective, it would make us respond differently.
Why are we being asked to look beyond the person instead of directly into the person? Why are we begging for equality when we should be professing and demanding that all be treated according to their dignity. Equality is man made, dignity is God given.
These thoughts bubbling in my head have weighed on me more with the death of George Floyd and the protests around the country. What should we be asking for, what should we be demanding? Should it be equality?
Do we want police officers to treat Neo-Nazi’s the same as Black Lives Matter? Do we want equality in that everyone is beat or everyone given leeway in aggression towards police? Equality doesn’t inherently mean that you receive what is rooted in truth, beauty or goodness, it means that you receive what someone else receives because it is “fair” according to policy makers. Is this really what we want?
No I want all of our kids treated according to their dignity. I want our kid’s human rights respected. I want my kids to forgive and be forgiven, to give mercy and receive it, I want them to be a person who steps up when something wrong is happening and to respond properly when they are being called out. To ask, not assume. I don’t want equality, I want truth and love.
It is my hope that our kids grow up to see others in their inherent dignity. I don’t want them to be “color-blind”, “disability-blind”, or blind to anything. I want them to see. I want them to see everyone they encounter, to look them in the face and meet them as a creation of God and get to know that person.
I mourn with Mrs. Floyd today. Oh to have your baby call out to you as he dies. The pain of knowing that at the last moments of his life was horrendous abuse, Our Lady is so close to Mrs. Floyd today.
update: Based upon a picture posted of George and his mother I thought that she was still living. In fact she had passed two years ago. May they both rest eternal peace.
Two for Joy 