Do Not Put People in Boxes

We learn many good things from our society and culture. We can also learn harmful practices from them. One of the most detrimental things that we can learn from our family, society, or culture is stereotypes about people belonging to other groups, such as language, state, color, faith, race, profession, and nationality. There was an experiment conducted by the New Hope Church that invites us to focus on the similarities rather than the differences in people. 

Before you continue reading, I encourage you to watch the video “Don’t Put People in Boxes”.

When we label people according to their language, faith, culture, or any other characteristic, we create barriers between us. We confine them to categories and either ignore them or choose not to interact with them respectfully and kindly. As discrimination intensifies, we not only use and encourage derogatory and hate speech against specific groups, but we may also tragically begin to harm them.

We are different in many ways from each other, but we are more alike than we realize. We all have red blood and a heart that beats to give and receive love. We feel hunger and thirst. We feel pain when hurt and joy when with dear ones. Inside, we are the same.

We are all created by God. God resides in the being of each one of us. Can we start recognizing the elements that make us one? Can we stop putting people in boxes?

 

Notes

New Hope Church, Don’t Put People in Boxes.