Fear

What is it about differences that make people automatically associate them with worse or better? To simply say something is different from this or that, does NOT mean that either one is worse or better. I'm sure we can all agree on that when we say that blue and red are different colors - neither one is worse or better (not speaking about college colors, or anything of that tyep - strictly colors red and blue). However when we get to things like people and their differences, those differences all of a sudden become better or worse? Why is that? What makes the fact that I am different (just different) from my boyfriend Michael, an automatic benefit or detriment to either one of us? I would gather that it is fear. And even though I can pinpoint it - I'm not saying I understand it - but I'm saying that we need to tackle that fear. Why are we so afraid to admit that we are different from one another and embrace those differences and that diversity? Why are we afraid to admit that we have different color skin as some of our friends and that we also have differen experiences in life that our friends, or our friends of a different lifestyle? Why are we afraid to admit that we might simply have a different sexual persuasion than some people? Why are we afraid to admit that women are simply different then men? Not worse or better? JUST DIFFERENT? By admitting that we are different - somewhere along the existence of humanity - different has come to mean worse. Why can we not simply embrace diversity for the blessing that it is? I don't want everyone to be the same - THAT IS BORING - And maybe some of us claim that we do embrace diversity - but do we really? Can we really embrace the difference of a homeless person who wants to remain homeless? Can we embrace it and celebrate it if that is their life choice? Yes, we are called to offer help to those who are in need, but what about those people that enjoy the nomadic life - why is their difference bad? And why is our stationary, suburbia, cookie cutter life style better than theirs? WHY DOES DIFFERENCE CREATE FEAR?
When I was little my dad had a "remedy" of how to stop being afraid of the dark. He would make us walk all the way across the basement in the pitch black, and back without anyone holding our hand - and he would make us do that so many times until we weren't afraid of the dark anymore. We have "remedies" for fear. Fear can lead to courage. I jumped off a bridge and bungee jumped - maybe that was helping to get rid of my fear of heights. We have remedies for fear - so HOW DO WE GET RID OF THE FEAR OF DIFFERENCE?