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So, a white person would not necessarily see these three blacks and others like them in appearance. How can we see someone, when we are only seeing ourselves? Did any white child, being educated in such a racist environment, see any black person as a person? Were white children urged, even more, to see a black child as fully equal to him or her? Or, more, a Christ like he or she was? Again, how odd that the flowers of the same field come to hate and fear ~ for fear is always with hate ~ other flowers in the field who look different.
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Hence, in the story of the banquet, we can read it a second way. The not-dressed-up guest is something in our shadow. The host is that part of us who does not welcome it; the host guards consciousness against admitting the shadow aspects of the unconscious realms. We may have a superior sense of self ~ religious, moral, racial, economic, intellectual ... ~ that thinks it is too good to accept that other part of the self. Hence, it pushes the unwanted aspect into the basement. The shadow aspect comes out, however, onto others. This happens, such as when we refuse to include someone for no rational reason, the rejection of the other being a projection of our self-rejection of self.
In my country, with the spreading of the coronavirus, some Americans are treating contemptuously Asians, as was the case with Muslims after the attack on the twin towers in New York City. These Americans blame the Chinese for the virus, so blame all Asians, some maybe never having been in China or Asia. Again, how odd! How immature! Of course, this has nothing first to do with the virus, the virus provides the context for the repressed or unrepressed feelings of superiority of Americans to be pushed onto Asians, as well as the fear of the virus. So, the pandemic is, among some, not humbling them, but providing a stage for nationalistic arrogance and aggression. We see this, also, among some on a conservative news agency in America, where repeatedly China has been blamed for the virus. This is pure ignorance. This encourages persons already intoxicated on nationalism to project blame toward Asians in America and onto China, even as some blame is reported to have come from China toward America for supposedly being the cause of the virus.
A friend was leaving a store this past week. She said she was walking by an Asian woman. The Asian turned her back in shame. My friend would have been welcoming to her, yet this Asian woman does not expect respect from Americans. She likely knows, hopefully, that few Americans would blame her for a virus. She knows, however, as other Asians do, that she cannot anticipate being treated as an equal, fully included during this time of crisis or after. And this is a time we as a world need to be affirming and living unity. We, the flowers in the field, need to receive Grace from the field, which means, too, gracefulness from each other.
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