Discovering Humanness- By Katie McKenzie
Over the last six years of my career, I have been able to travel around the world seeing an array of people, ideas, landscapes, and lifestyles. What I expected to learn – our vast differences, polarizing cultural norms, and incongruent religious beliefs – was overshadowed by something unexpected.
Our similarities.
“It is easiest to categorize people into comfortable social circles, dichotomized by the color of our skin, the faith we profess, and the political views we obtain. But I propose we strip each other of those identifying features and choose to see one another for our humanness, and not our preferences or genetic inheritance... ”
At one point in my career, I led teams of medical volunteers to host clinics in rural Nicaragua. One hot afternoon, as patients trickled through one of our makeshift clinics inside a church, I met a boy who challenged my expectations. Luis was a handsome boy with an unwavering grin. He ran around the medical clinic with his two brothers playing tag. While the other patients were quiet, somber, and orderly, the children shot across the open room and through the yard, leaving a trail of dust in their wake. Their mother finally gathered them in when it was their turn to see the doctor. She was especially concerned for six-year-old Luis. He had been mute his entire life, and his mother didn’t know why. As Luis sat through his physical, I couldn’t help catching his eye from a few feet away. We played peek-a-boo while the doctor reviewed his symptoms and performed a series of tests. I was drawn to his vibrancy and default joy. When the doctor had finished, I think we were all a little surprised when we, along with his mother, learned the reason for his being mute. He was deaf.
But I am supposed to be talking about our similarities.
No one needs help identifying our differences. Luis lives in Nicaragua. I am from the United States. He is a little boy. I am a young woman. He lives in a poor area in Nicaragua. I am from middle class America. He has never heard what his laugh sounds like. I have. Yet, I was drawn to this little boy for reasons outside the normal descriptors. I was drawn to him because he chose to be happy. I was drawn to him because of the way he included me. I was drawn to him because I saw a little of the carefree girl I once was behind his infectious smile.
It is easiest to categorize people into comfortable social circles, dichotomized by the color of our skin, the faith we profess, and the political views we obtain. But I propose we strip each other of those identifying features and choose to see one another for our humanness, and not our preferences or genetic inheritance. Strip away our differences and we are people made in the image of God. We are made in the image of one, faithful, unwavering God who calls us to set our differences aside and love one another. Being the same introduces the opportunity for empathy, forgiveness, and reconciliation. Whether a young boy in Nicaragua, a colleague who comes from a different world, or a refugee who has found themselves on our soil, it is important to remember that we are all similar more than we are different. Travel as far as you can, and you will still find that we are all human.
Katie McKenzie is a communications professional, who has worked for organizations like Invisible Children, OneWorld Health, and World Vision. In her career, she works to connect those in need around the world to those who have the capacity to meet those needs.