In Plain Sight:  Creating a World That Works

Contributed by Rev. Dr. Trish Hall

We have, in plain sight, an opportunity to create a world that works – a world that supports itself by connecting and nurturing all aspects of creation.  The common phrase “hidden in plain sight” applies to much of our human experience.  Life in all its messy diversity is blatantly in front of and all around us.  We are immersed in it.  We can pretend that it is not, and such pretense will only cause greater and greater rifts.

The idiom “hidden in plain sight” used by Edgar Allen Poe in his short story, “The Purloined Letter,” demonstrates the limits of human perception and the importance of observation, suggesting that something can be both conspicuous and inconspicuous at the same time.

Buddhism addresses the concept of “hidden in plain sight” by suggesting that the path to awakening is not about seeking something external or extraordinary, but about recognizing the truth that is already present in our experience. 

Christianity guides followers to see the “hidden things of God” that are hidden in plain sight for those who have opened their eyes to see and their ears to listen.

Similarly, we often miss opportunities, such as the possibility of changing the whole world, because we go through life so preoccupied with routine activities.  We miss the richness that is constantly presented to us.  The admonition, “slow down and smell the roses,” advises us to take respites from our busyness to appreciate what is right in front of us. 

Within current times that are often described as “tumultuous,” some of us withdraw into our personal cocoons, isolating from others, resulting in loneliness.  Alternatively, we join communities with which we have a lot in common, and which exclude people unlike ourselves.  To insulate from perceived dangers, these groups can take on the nature of gangs clustering together against assumed enemies.

With either approach, barriers emerge that block our ability to connect with the richness of Creation.  The sense of separation – separateness –arises as fear and loneliness.  Loneliness has been labeled a pervasive epidemic. Whether individuals isolate or withdraw into the assumed safety of cultural/community bounds, a shared fixation on contrast and differences, causes “othering.” Hostility and aggression ensue, and the chasms between peoples grow.

The opportunity presenting itself “in plain sight” is to become cultural connectors – bridge builders.

Creation is immeasurably diverse.  Whether you count insects, reptiles, birds or mammals including humans there are myriad individuations – each unique – each one-of-a-kind!  When we hide among those with whom we have an affinity, a resemblance or cultural connection, we rob ourselves of the opportunity to experience the richness of the creation.

Cultural blindness refers to the lack of awareness and understanding of cultural differences, often leading to the imposition of one’s own cultural values on others. It’s a state of being unaware of, or actively ignoring, the diverse cultural backgrounds, beliefs, and practices present within a group or society. 

The practices of ignoring and/or othering are, unfortunately, exceedingly common.  If we ignore those who are different from us, not only are we denying them recognition, we deprive ourselves of opportunities to learn and connect.  If we engage in othering – labeling – we are judging, devaluing and relegating them to something unacceptable.  We are separating them from us.  We are denigrating and discarding them.  Who are we to judge others based on our assumptions? 

Whether you consider yourself a humanist, deeply religious or somewhere in the middle, it makes sense to interact with everyone and everything for the betterment of all.  Inclinations to divide stem from fear based on biases, preconceived notions, or a lack of critical thinking.

I am inviting you to consider enhancing how you see the world.  Even if you already embrace the concept of oneness (not to be confused with “sameness”), hidden biases probably are lurking within you. The way we humans learn is to observe, compare and store all our experiences.  The moment we compare we are filtering our observations.  That filtering function is the imposition of unconscious biases.  Unless such biases are addressed at the conscious level, they alter perceptions like bugs in software that can cripple our operating systems. Although people often assert, “I’m not biased,” their internal controller adds: “provided people live their lives within my comfort zone.”

Does your heart yearn for a world composed of individuals, families, neighborhoods, cultures and communities living together in peace?  Mine does. John Lennon’s song, “Imagine,” immediately comes to mind.

Wayne Dyer taught, “When we change the way we look at things, the things we look at change.” Life is composed of myriad cultures so cultural differences are ubiquitous.  You may encounter communication disconnects within your own family, neighbors, religions, partisan perspectives, ethnicities or internationally.  It’s important to acknowledge that gaps exist everywhere and all too often within our closest relationships.  Many disconnects have taken on proportions that seem wider than the Great Rift Valley in Kenya. 

When we shift how we see our world, we shift the world – we radically change relationships: interpersonal, interfaith, intercultural and international.

A Colleague stated, “How you see them is how you serve them.”  How we see each person in our lives impacts how we relate to/with them!!

The opportunity to change the whole world by shifting how we relate to our fellow humans and all creation, is right in front of us, in plain sight.

Cultural diversity abounds around us.  We get to be trail blazers changing the world by starting conversations even when we feel scared and especially when we feel unsure about whether our presence will be welcomed.  Actually, our internal dialogue is a bold indicator that a situation is the perfect one to enter.

To foster and strengthen healthy intercultural connections requires that we step out of our own comfort zone to offer new ways of connecting.  Such an approach requires sensitivity to bridge the gaps. 

It doesn’t matter what your color, geography, ethnicity, nationality, gender identity, age, station, economic/community, or any other way in which you identify yourself, everyone is different!

Bridging such divides requires that we enter our pursuit with compassion, gently gleaning a sense of how it is to be someone.  The task is huge and complex. 

It requires commitment, determination, kindness and compassionate perseverance.  The process requires delicacy and loving boldness.

The components are surprisingly simple.  The application of those components can be challenging.  The arena in which we need to apply those components is fragile.  The essential element is trust undergirded by Love.  Trying to reassemble trust, if broken, is much like trying to put Humpty-Dumpty together again, so let’s avoid breaking trust.

To build a bridge, we must assess the current situation:

• What are we moving from?  Feeling discontent
• What are we spanning?  Perceived differences/separation
• What is our desired outcome?  Supportive interconnection

Peace and equity will only come to pass when we learn from and with people of other perspectives.

Together, we get to be bridge builders – to be initiators.  Now is the perfect time to establish new patterns and new ways of relating – to embrace oneness boldly so that an observer would never doubt our belief in it nor our commitment to create a world that works for all.

Like love, our embrace of oneness cannot be conditional.  It cannot depend on our comfort.  Knowing that, as cultural connectors, we are facilitating the emergence of a world that works – a world that supports itself by connecting and nurturing all aspects of creation.

Engage in “witness consciousness” – observe yourself and others without forming opinions and jumping to conclusions.  Not easy yet incredibly rewarding! 

Embrace “beginner mind” and open to how it is to be someone of another culture or perception.  Be flexible and adaptable.  Identify shared values and common concerns.  Open to possibility.

Encourage others to join you by creating a tsunami of connections.  Barge out of your comfort zone.  Accept that any stories you are carrying about other cultures are rooted beneath your conscious awareness, so you need to consciously release the hold they may have on you. 

Now is the perfect time to embrace that YOU are a Cultural Connector – a transformative force in the universe creating a world that works for all.

This blog post is the expressed opinion of its writer and does not necessarily reflect the views of Tysons Interfaith or its members.