Feed The Need and Ignore the Greed

On the way, by train, from Paris to the French town of Lyon Part Dieu, I marveled at the French countryside. No matter where one goes in the world, it is truly remarkable how God has created so many landscapes of such unheralded beauty and plentitude. How unfortunate that some of us are not intent on sharing what we see however, and are focused on claiming the components of it for ourselves. This infectious attitude has initiated a competitive furor around the globe, setting the stage for social and economic upheavals everywhere.  The subsequent development of racial and social hierarchies has inevitably ensued, and the strife to be on top has increased exponentially. There’s certainly adequate sustenance for all. Why is it that everywhere one goes the fruited plains abound, yet people feel that there’s not enough to go around, and the struggle is on to ‘get mine’. Be it France or the United States, grapevines or amber waves of grain, what could or should be may not always be what is.

A couple of days ago, while in Long Beach, California, I met a white woman from Deerfield, Illinois. She shared that her being Catholic caused ostracization from the predominant Jewish population in that particular suburb, and that she had moved to Long Beach to save her daughter from the same adversity. The only pertinent information found on the Jewish factor was that"... after World War II, Highland Park allowed the largest number of German Jews to immigrate there." Relatively, the 2000 census lists Highland Park as having a "...91.2% white population with a median income of $113,350 per household." ¹ Wow I thought, migration and displacement is capable of manifesting anywhere and affecting anybody regardless of race, religion, creed or class.

During my first trip to a wealthy neighborhood in Paris, I was taken aback by how Africans in that area treated this African American (me) with a degree of disdain, even though the same type of treatment had been experienced at home from both Africans and African Americans. A degree of comfort was felt on this present trip however, because on the other side of town there was a warm greeting administered by a couple of Africans. In an attempt to cherish the moment, I did not allow their intent to sell me drugs diminish the heartfelt sense of connection and oneness.

While seeking information on race relations in France, I found the following excerpt concerning the migration of Northern Africans to that country in search of employment: “Sincere and effective steps to ease tensions and alleviate grievances need to be taken now or else France will be well on its way to replicating our own country’s [America] darkest piece of history—economic and social subjugation of an entire people based on racist and xenophobic inclinations.” ² This article shed light on the historical implications of the racial dynamics in Paris. It also brought to mind how the thought of another getting a piece of the pie causes fear and dissent from Paris to Highland Park.

What we’s gon do ya’ll. Catholics, Jews, Africans, Arabs, Asians, Hispanics...all brimming in different areas of the world…at one point victims of and now participating in a worldwide fear of those outside their inner circles. Although racism and social status are obvious components of it, they are not what this situation is really about. It’s about a consciousness that stems from a sense of lack, a fear of not enough to go around. A consciousness that maintains the status quo. A consciousness that feeds the greed and ignores the need. Something or somebody’s got to give. 

My suggestion is that we be that somebody by developing and maintaining a consciousness of abundance. A passage in the Bible implores us to ”...seek ye first the Kingdom of God and all His righteousness, and all these things will be added unto you.” ³ The Kingdom of God is Love, and love is the act of being one with another. If we strive to be assertive in the endeavor to love one another, then we’ll be able to witness Jimi Hendrix’s affirmation that “When the power of love overcomes the love of power, the world will know peace.”  We definitely have enough or we wouldn’t be here. By sharing what we have with others we will be demonstrating an assuredness that everything we need is available to us right here and right now, and that we need not worry about what tomorrow may bring, because our sharing has opened the door for more. This assuredness that there’s more than enough for all can be contagious and we should do everything in our power to spread it around.

Feel me? Don't feel me? Holla Back anyway to: grace.calvin187@gmail.com 

and your responses will  be posted on the next blog. 

¹ "Highland Park, Illinois," Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia,
   en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Highland_Park._Illinois -
²  "Race and Maghreben Immigrants: What France Can Learn From the US, Sarah Alaoui, Project
   Journal of International Affairs at UCSD, April 13, 2010, p.1
³  The Holy Bible, King James Version, Matthew 6:33