There is a billboard that I find incredibly insensitive, demeaning and arrogant. It's on Ambler, on the route to 2 out of our 3 very expensive, Christian Universities in the city. The advertisement has a Hispanic mother and daughter smiling on it with the words (in Spanish): my mother encouraged me to go to university so that I could be someone.
I'm sure this sign is meant to inspire and elevate and encourage people who have often found difficult paths in this state. I think it is portraying a misguided worldview from the middle class perspective- that education can MAKE a person. Why is it that our society and our actions value someone with more education? Or who makes more money? This is so utterly contrary to what the Lover taught. He made the poignant lesson of washing his disciples feet, although they called him "teacher". What if we valued people who serve, who love, who give of themselves sacrificially over what degrees someone has, what the person drives or how that person can impress others?
I don't think simply going to university can "make" a person and often it makes us worse, not better: more arrogant, more self-reliant, more stratified in our society, instead of encouraging greater love and greater respect of others.
Furthermore, the unwritten (and probably unmeant) meaning behind this billboard is that by NOT going to university, you are a nobody. This is where the sign really bites. It's in a poor neighborhood with a high Hispanic population. How many of them have been to university? How many of them see this sign and feel that they are a failure every time they read it? How many times do our "good intentions" to help people learn to "fish for themselves" really become daggers that stab them in the back and keep them down? The CEO gave the Lover as our perfect example. He emptied himself, became a servant, as low as he could become and the CEO elevated Him to the place that is above all others. I think so many times we are trying to make ourselves a place instead of taking the path of humility. At least that's what our culture tells us to do.
Lover, Give us eyes to see and ears to hear the truth. Forgive us for our ideals which fly in the face of your principles. Forgive us for the hurt we cause others day in and out by our ignorance, our arrogance and insensitivity. Bless the humble workers. The millions who day in and out serve us. May we learn from them and find joy and life in the most menial of tasks and realize that our worth is not in what we do or a title or a job, but in You.
6 comments:
Great WORDS! How much do you want to bet that a well-educated white had that sign put up? I'm ashamed of my own ignorance toward others, but I honestly want to know a constructive way to encourage those who are very different from me to become all they can be.
Does that mean I want them going down the same educational paths I went down? Probably not...but maybe.
Our culture views a college education as the stand-alone litmus test for "success in life". I wonder how healthy that test is...
--Keep up the spanish!
AW,
i've been thinking about your previous post alot and i think there is a very important link between the things that disturb us about it and the things that disturb us about that billboard.
you are posting very provocative stuff sis!
keep it coming...
doesn't it say the Lover uses the foolish things of the world to confound the wise? And I'm not saying the autistic woman is foolish. On the other hand, I think she had more profound insight into the world than I've ever had. When I saw the video a second time, it occurred to me that it was very worshipful. She was relishing the awesomeness of having senses, of being aware of surroundings, of all of creation. How often do we get "busy" and miss smelling the roses or contemplating the beauty around us, or miss out on seeing the cripple, the lowly, the unseen of society and their God instilled beauty?
yeah, in some ways ms. bags was very childlike... exploring the world around her and interacting in her own way.
i wonder how she would respond to the idea that autism is a disease...
what if its not?
brennan manning tells about visiting an amish family that had two downs syndrome adults in their family. he said when he got out of his car one of these two remarkable men ran and hugged him so fiercly that it seemed more like being tackled... but only because of the man's size, he said it was one of the most honest hugs he remembers. he says that later, during the meal, he accidently bumped this same man and he just errupted into wailing tears. he apologized and he said the man turned and kissed him hard, full on the mouth.
i'm not so sure that the "handicaps" people have are as bad as we make out. of course thats my very uninformed observation...
so take it for what its worth.
peace
As a Hispanic single, at one time, mother. I thank God for the encouragement I received in gaining an education. I understand where you are trying to go with your angst, however, sometimes our angst is due to the lenses in which we choose to see something. You are a talented writer, provocative thinker, an obviously selfless mother,wife and friend to many. You could not express your thoughts in such an organized manner were it not for the education you received somewhere. Although there is nothing inherently wrong with being uneducated, the percentages of hispanics with advanced education are very low. Whatever methods are chosen to "encourage" minorites in advanced education are applied with good intent. Someone, somewhere surely had to approve of the methods that are culturally accepatable. If minorities do not get educated they are relying on who to govern them, legislate for them and advocate their needs. Because so many hispanics don't achieve the "honor" of education and there is the matriachal component, perhaps that is a reason this particular method was chosen. I know that Jesus, although the son of God, spent hours in the temple, studying the scriptures. Luke, was a physician. Paul was a scholar. These talents of education were not buried in the ground, but utilized to advance the Kingdom. I am not trying to be ugly. I just wanted to give you another perspective. As far as the sign being where it is and directed toward hispanics, the people that are driven to University, will find a way. The people that don't care won't think twice about the sign. Their mother has probably already told them the same thing even in spanish. Nothing makes my hispanic family more proud than to have someone achieve something they could not. I guess you just have to be in the kitchen with fresh tortillas and the smile on the faces of abuelo y abuela as they hear that their grandchild just achieved___________!
Thank you for sharing your perspective (Anon) and I rejoice with you that your family is so celebratory of your achievements and I congratulate you too. Our neighbor's daughter was the first of the family to complete high school and we celebrated with them, it was surely tremendous. She is part hispanic and I agree with you that minorities should be encouraged to get an education. The term I contend with, and I think you see it too, is the phrase "to be someone". I wonder what social stigmas people carry who do not have a college degree. Do they also feel threatened by your education at times? I have seen this repeatedly when asked what brought me to Abilene. It was university. When less educated people hear my reply, I can see walls go up, eyebrows raise and this sense of "oh, you're one of those". Not that that should keep anyone from going to school, but just noting that education can be a hindrance when trying to cross social barriers.
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