At 4 this morning, as I was driving home from taking my husband to the airport my mind was wandering. The empty roads and only a touch of light sky coupled with being in that wakeful state required for early morning airport runs that is hoping to be back asleep as soon as possible, entertains trains of thought often overrun in the busyness of the day.

Even though it was still night here in Anchorage, I was thinking about how many of my friends who live in Central and Eastern time zones were probably already up, and some might even be on their way to work if not already there.
And that got me thinking about time zones and the arbitrariness of these lines. I fell asleep while following this idea, and I pick it up now, half a day and a couple more hours of sleep later.

Time zones are one of the many ways we divide up our world. There is a scientific basis underlying the original concept, on top of which other choices, such as daylight savings time or moving the line are laid. Thankfully, as far as I have been able to google, other than the abolish daylight savings time movement, there doesn’t seem to be much controversy, and no violence, about this particular set of lines.

If only we could say that was true for all the other imaginary lines we draw.

In the Kansas City metro, you can take a drive down State Line road, with Kansas to the west and Missouri to the east. What side of that imaginary line you live and work on will determine what taxes you pay and for which health and social services you are eligible. The quality and funding of the school kids go to is effected by that line, as well as the lines made between cities and neighborhoods.

Still, while these lines may influence our day to day life a variety of ways, there’s not much controversy or violence about them.

But there are more imaginary lines, ones that have resulted in plenty of harm. For instance:
-The lines between countries, that keep some in and others out.
-The lines between races, genders, orientations, and abilities that somehow make one better or preferable and another less so.
-The lines between beliefs, especially our beliefs about God, that make some right and others wrong, so much so that another’s existence is a threat.

I have read that our suspicion of anything different than the norm is an evolutionary trait to keep us safe, that makes sense when you think back to a time when our ancestors lived in their various tribes across the globe and survival was a knife edge they walked daily.

It doesn’t make sense any more. The imaginary lines we create to decide what ‘box’ someone belongs in may make us feel like we have some understanding about a person, but almost always there is some untrue assumptions under there.

I know the sting of being misunderstood and having who I am limited in someone else’s eyes because of their assumptions. My guess is that most of us have felt that at some level by the time we get to adulthood, likely much earlier than that. So even though we all know at some level that these imaginary walls that we make around ourselves and others are false, we do it anyway. Why?

There are a lot of directions one can point a finger, but really, the solution is the most vital part right now. This solution is to get serious about examining our own biases. Walking around the grocery store or sitting in a busy place, just notice your thoughts. Are you making unfounded judgements or assumptions about someone? When you notice that you have assumed something, and maybe even judged it as good or bad, give yourself a moment to consider why you had that reaction. Can you see how that might be untrue? Replace your assumption with the something else. What is the deeper truth of that person? That they have the same divine spark that you do. That they are doing the best they know how to care for their loved ones, even if it’s not how you would do it. I know that it can be uncomfortable when we consciously tune into these unkind thoughts, but the only way to clear them out is to bring them into the light.

Fear of the unknown or different is fueling this separateness that I believe is the root of so much of the troubles in the world and in our lives. Part 2 of this solution I am proposing is to get real information to replace fear, misunderstanding, and assumptions. Get real information from multiple reliable sources. Take a world religions class, read books or blogs from a variety of perspectives. Visit the library. Replace condemnation with understanding, judgement with empathy, fear with connection.

While some of us feel called to take the next step, which is to stand with those who have been systematically placed on the wrong side of an imaginary line, I have a word of caution. When we make someone bad, evil, and wrong, we are perpetuating the same energy of mistrust and hate we want them to cease. To truly create change, we have to go higher, shift our own judgments and fears, find compassion for those who are likely acting out of fear or misinformation.

This is not an easy practice, but it is based in the Truth that we are all spiritual beings. Pray, meditate, take a moment to envision your adversary in the light of understanding and love. Compassion, wisdom, and love are what will erase these imaginary walls. We each choose daily to remove or add bricks. Choose wisely.