Today I had to take a mandatory class for my job at the hospital called "Diversity Awareness." I have to admit, I wasn't looking forward to it at all. Because I'm so part-time and because work is so busy right now, I really begrudged the loss of 8 hours of my 10 per week to a class that I didn't think I needed. I was leary of the potential for psycho-babble, self-esteem hogwash, and white bashing. Plus, I've run into a couple trainers at the hospital who teach like they are in front of a class of 1st graders. I know this is a weakness of mine, but my pride takes a bruising when I'm talked down to like that, and it usually comes back swinging. Not a lovely trait, and one I'm working on.I have to confess that the class was done very well. Our instructor was very professional and proved herself highly credible. She also made the class very interactive, and I learned a lot from hearing the other people in the class share their perspectives, experiences, and struggles.
Our hospital is quite large, employing over 8,000 people from research to food service to medical personnel. We draw employees as well as patients from all over the world, so everyone has to work with someone who is different from them at some point, even if they aren't involved in direct patient care. So our group represented quite a cross-section of cultures and job roles. But diversity isn't just about a person's heritage. It's about everything that makes them unique, from appearance to religious beliefs to physical abilities to education (having a lot of letters at the end of your name, like MD or PhD) to which building you work in.
The gist of the whole day was to watch yourself for times when you jump to conclusions about a person without talking to them and getting accurate information. We tend to make judgments about people immediately, and then never take the time or make the effort to get to know them because of those snap judgments.
I couldn't help but think of Phillipians 4:8.
Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.Those snap judgments and assumptions we make about people? That "reading between the lines" of what is said or how it is said or how I perceived its accompanying body language? None of that is thinking on what true or honorable or just. That's all me filling in the blanks (making things up) and interpreting those stories for myself rather than getting the facts from the person themselves. I like to think of myself as really smart and able to figure things out with this sixth sense or women's intuition or whatever. But it's really just laziness and refusal to take a risk and step out of my comfort zone to actually talk to someone.
So if those who claim to believe and obey God and His holy book, the Bible, really do what it says, none of us could ever be accused of not listening, or worse yet of ugliness like racism or bigotry or hate or bias.
