Walking Across Tracks and Oceans

I recently read a book (okay, part of a book) that angered me....initially.

The author *seemed* to be accusing me of being afraid of the students I love -and for whom I offer a daily sacrifice...

...because of their skin color?!  

The strength of emotion I felt surprised me.  It breaks my heart when I can't reach my students, when they don't know how much I care about them.  When their parents don't trust me and can't see that we're on the same team.  I love and enjoy each individual.  

I love variety.  One memorable moment I had while traveling a while back, was when I spent the night in this little *intensely* creepy town in Indiana where I could hardly breath for all the suffocating sameness.  I don't think there was a single dark colored hair- let alone skin tone - not even in WalMart!  ...at the next rest stop, I almost kissed the first person of color that I saw.

The author's words also brought out more intense feelings, because I felt that I was being judged outside of relationship.  The stereotypical remarks being made about me and others in my profession cut to the core. 

But then I paused and thought:  If he was making stereotypical remarks...there must be something prominent enough to base that stereotype on.  How truly sad.  

I hold firmly to this belief: 

There is one race, and only one - and it's called "The human race."

I don't see color, I only see wounds - wounds that can only be healed through relationship.  

Edit:  apparently I don't hold too firmly to that belief...because I'm editing the post just 18 hours later.  I do see color.  I LOVE every shade, and I relish a community that can embrace variety with each maintaining his or her cultural identity.  

So, I do see color *and* wounds.  

Many in my profession see the divide but lack the social skills and finesse to bridge the gap.  Myself included.  

Y'all, relationships are messy.  

You've heard it said that possession is 99% of the law.  

I say perception is %99 of reality. 

The only way to improve perception is to get closer to what you are trying to see. 

We have to walk across the room, across the tracks and trample over stereotypes, the fear of rejection, and embrace the awkward to reach out a welcoming hand that says "We're in this together.  We're on the same team."

Another edit: I'm Swedish...a few other nationalities too, but the biggest chunk of me is Swedish.  It is a part of my family's culture.  

I get that part of cultural identity has to do with race.  In that sense race is something to be celebrated.  I don't want to come across as a big racial eraser - we are all God's children, and our Creator has made us beautiful  because of that variety.  Navigating the waters as a shepherd of several races in one classroom is a lot like finding the needle in the haystack of my mixed metaphors.