Remember that post I just did about not being a Christian social worker? Yeah. I'm rethinking that one.
I don't know what else could truly break stigma other than a perfect love that casts out all fear. Isn't that why we stigmatize people? Because we fear what we don't understand and then come up with ideas and determinations about groups of people with no solid ground to base them on?
The social work side of me keeps chanting, "Education. Educate people."
Yes. Yes and amen to education. But the fact that the vast majority of the Muslim community are not terrorists isn't stopping people from slandering them and twisting distorted and unfounded hate into their own hearts.
The more I dwell on how to go about attacking stigmas about communities or groups of people, such as people with disabilities or those who are on welfare, somewhere deep in my heart whispers,
"Love people, Lindsay. Love them deeply. Love the hated, and love those who hate."
How could I possibly construct a barrier between my love for Christ and my love for people who I'll seek justice for in my profession? I know it sounds like common sense when you say it out loud, but try being a weary, broken vessel who loves the Lord and loves justice and compassion, and working in a vocation that fights for people merely under the assumption that we have a responsibility to the dignity of humanity, and having nothing to do with Christ at all.
Recently in a post featured on The Good Women Project, a girl wrote, "I can't put fences around agape". Isn't that just beautiful?
It sounds an awful lot like something Jesus would say.
And we're called to be just like Him inside and outside of our profession, aren't we?
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