Books Without Covers
Thank you, Google Quote of the Day, for today's opening thought:Without the aid of prejudice and custom I should not be able to find my way across the room.
- William Hazlitt
What is a stereotype? Why do negative connotations slink behind the word and make us scared to go near it?
William Hazlitt, whoever he is, was onto something. It is only by stereotyping that we are able to function in the world. We laugh at babies and children because they haven't learned it yet.
We recognize the shape of an electrical outlet; we assume that because it is oblong, has two different-sized slots and is in a wall, we could plug our toaster into it and expect it to toast. Because of stereotypes, we can move on to more complicated things.
Perhaps we only shy away from stereotypes of people. This is understandable, yet sometimes inconvenient. How can I "judge not" when the boys sitting the back wearing John Deere caps with bottle openers on the brim are the ones constantly smirking and whispering during class lectures?
Again, it becomes a matter of conviction. I may know something about those boys because of how they look, but I don't know everything. Even if I did, it shouldn't change my commitment to offering them the best I can give. It is the Lord Christ I serve. If I can give a comma splice revision to the least of these in his name, I give it to him.
Now, to tell my stomach that.
posted by Lynn @ 7:34 PM
2 Comments:
Those rotten John Deere-sporting boys! Someday they'll be growing your steaks and hamburgers or something. I can see why they don't think they need comma splices.
Then why are they in college? They can raise cows without it.
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