Us Vs. Them

I woke up this morning with the thought that we ought to learn the concept of standing up for other people. We need to open our heads to the idea that that is possible – standing up for people who aren’t us. It is a faulty approach if we have to have to identify with someone before we entertain the thought of standing up for them. I believe this is where we fall short of empathy. Or even display outright vitriol. The ‘they’re not like me, hence my hands are tied, there’s nothing I can do’ mentality. The ‘they’re not like me, hence I must oppose them’ mentality.

People should not need to be one of Us for Us to stand up for Them. It is not a zero sum game. Or even an either/or situation. It is simply about being human.

JK Rowling’s Kingsley Shacklebolt said of the Wizard Nazi situation where some wizards were talking about prioritizing pureblood wizards first: “I would say it’s one short step from ‘Wizards first’ to ‘Purebloods first’, and then to ‘Death Eaters’. We are all human, aren’t we? Every human life is worth the same, and worth saving.”

Every human life is worth the same, and worth saving. I have admired this line since I first read it. Told from a different perspective, it is the same as the poetic-prose by the Lutheran pastor Martin Niemoeller:

“They came first for the Communists,

and I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a Communist.

Then they came for the Jews,

and I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a Jew.

Then they came for the trade unionists,

and I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a trade unionist.

Then they came for the Catholics,

and I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a Catholic.

Then they came for me,

and by that time no one was left to speak up.”

If we can only stand up for those we have common grounds with, our humanity needs to be re-examined. People could be vastly different from us and I should still be able to support them and show solidarity with them.

In Jesus’ words: “If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that?” (Matthew 5:47; NIV)