I – Ignorance

Ignorance (noun) - a derivative of the word ignorant.   Ignorant: (adjective)  1. Lacking in knowledge or training; unlearned.  2. Lacking knowledge or information as to a particular subject or fact.  3. Uniformed; unaware.  4. Due to or showing lack of knowledge or training (Dictionary.com). 

Definition is important.  Assumption and the lens of perception so often skews our understanding of the definition of certain words.  Ignorance is one of those words that holds so much weight and is frequently misunderstood in its meaning.  As we all read the definition of ignorance, we can all be very honest with ourselves and admit that we each have some level of ignorance.  All human beings suffer from the condition of ignorance.  Ignorance is something that we all possess because of our finite ability to understand, experience, grasp and retain information.  Ignorance is an issue for us all. 

When I made the outline for “A – All of My Issues”, for those of you that are new to the blog this is a continuation in the A to Z series of all my issues, I planned out what each letter would stand for and that would be the topic for the blog on that letter.  For those of you who are new, I have a lot of issues so creating that outline really did not take very long to put together.  I initially planned out a topic that was much more surface and lighthearted for the letter I, but as the series of A to Z continued and time passed I was burdened to discuss a heavier topic for this letter.  In my life, as I gain years, time passes and I see more in this world I am fascinated by how much that I do not know.  Ignorance plagues the lives of us all.  Many of us actively seek to gain more knowledge, information, training, and to be more informed.  From childhood, it is a natural progression and curiosity that gives us a drive to learn and explore.  As we get older though, there seems to be a disconnection or perhaps just an overload of the realization of how much there is that we do not know.  Despite our valiant efforts to obtain and grow in knowledge, we must admit that there is still so much that we do not know.

There is precious space in all our minds, even the most acute, fine-tuned human brain has a limited capacity.  I actually have peace about many of things I do not know about on this planet, let alone our universe, because I am humble enough to know there is so much I cannot know and smart enough to know there is a lot I am better off not knowing.  Mostly I am complacent and lazy enough to know that there are so many things that I just do not care to know about.  Which sounds really bad of course, but I know that I am not alone on this so let me give you a couple examples of what I mean.  Rocket Science - zero desire to learn anything about Rocket Science.  I took Physics in high school, barely passed, should have failed, retained very little, but I also have zero desire to learn anything further about Physics.  Nothing against birds, but I really just do not care about the migratory pattern trends of geese.  I love my computer, my smart phone and all the fun little devices that make life so convenient.  Yet, I do not care how the motherboard is put together.  No offense to all my computer geek friends and family members, but I just do not care.  I am glad someone cares about all of these topics, but I am really not going to utilize the remaining brain cells and learning abilities that I have left on these particular issues.  Then there is information that I wish I did not know anything about, but is using up space in my brain that could be used to supplement my ignorance on more important topics.  Such as, the Kardashian’s and the Jenner’s.  I do not even watch the show(s), but I can tell you more about Kylie and Travis Scott’s baby than I can about Rocket Science, Physics, geese migratory patterns and motherboard assembly combined!  Why do I use up brain cells for this stuff?! 

So why am I burdened about ignorance if we are all doomed to some level of ignorance despite our best efforts not to be ignorant?  It is no secret that the since the blog started just over a year ago that our country has been set aflame by ignorance.  The ignorance was not new, it has always been there, but the magnitude of my understanding of the collective ignorance in our country truly astounded me and still does.  I try not to be too political or judgmental in my posts about other people’s views, beliefs or perspectives because honestly that is not what this blog is about.  The blog is about how we are all the same in that we are all human and we are all messy.  All of us have issues, baggage, disappointments, regrets and none of us have it together.  More importantly, we all have the capacity to love, care, aspire, grow and learn.  We have so many similarities as human beings!  What astounds me is humans who are the same in so many ways move their focus to our differences and not on our sameness.  Instead so many people in our nation (around the world too, but I am focusing on America at the moment) have made the decision to live in a mindset of hatred, malice, discord, confusion, judgement and chaos.  Racism, sexism and other manners of division have shown their deep seeded roots.  How can this be in such an advanced democracy?  Has history taught us nothing?  Is it a lack of understanding, an ignorance of history?  Is it pride?  Pride that the perception of anyone else is deemed not important or non-existent?  Is it isolation?  A fear of the unknown instead of an excitement for what can be learned?  Or is just sin?

It absolutely blows my mind that any group of people can think that they are better than any other group of individuals on the basis of race, gender, nationality, religion, sexual orientation, socio-economic status or any other means of division.  There are some things in this life that I wish I could go back and tell my younger self to prepare her for the world.  Let me tell you, I am so glad that little girl that I was did not know the world was as ugly as it is.  I am thankful for the ignorance that little girl had about the collective ignorance of the world.  I am thankful that she was able to play with her friends who were African American, Puerto Rican, Mexican, Korean, Cambodian, Caucasian, citizen, refugee, undocumented, Catholic, Protestant, Muslim, Atheistic, Agnostic, heterosexual, homosexual, bisexual, female and male without knowing that there was division in the world.  Honestly, that little girl would not even describe her friends in any of those categories that the world so quickly places human beings in.  That little girl would simply say, “These are my friends”.  No division, no confusion and no segregation.  We knew we were all different people, but that we were the same in so many ways.  We had different noses, hair, skin, families and heritage, but we all knew how to get to the playground, laugh and have fun without letting any of our differences keep us from our friends. 

I am ignorant about much, but this much I do know.  I know that God is love, not hate.  God is good, not evil.  God is beautiful, not ugly.  God is just, not corrupt.  God is merciful, not cruel.  God is gracious, not thoughtless.  God is holy, not wicked.  God is sovereign, not restricted.  God is transcendent, not simple.  God is extraordinary, not ordinary.  God is supernatural, not natural.  God is enough, not ignorant.  The one thing that I will strive to be is to be more like Jesus, we can only do that in God’s strength because we lack as humans.  So I challenge every human, including myself, to be a part of the solution and to seek past our ignorance.  In spite of the ingrained ignorance in our humanity, find the heart in your humanity to see the heart of every person on this planet.  Work through what you do not know by being quick to listen and slow to speak.  Be an ear to listen, even if you cannot understand.  Sympathize if you cannot empathize.  Let your heart be broken by the stories of those who have been wounded and slaughtered by ignorance.  Know the history and know the facts.  Find compassion and realize we are the same, we were all made in the image of God.  We are all brothers and sisters, we cannot allow ignorance to tear that apart any longer!  Father God, let us not allow ignorance to guide our path, let us seek to know more and find the truth in you.

References:

http://www.dictionary.com/browse/ignorant?s=t

Scripture:

“We love because he first loved us. Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen.  And he has given us this command: Anyone who loves God must also love their brother and sister.” John 1:19-21 (NIV)

“There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love. We love because He first loved us.” I John 4:18-19 (NIV)

“This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.” 1 John 1:5 (ESV)      

“Look at how great a love the Father has given us that we should be called God’s children. And we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it didn’t know Him.” 1 John 3:1 (HCSB)

“Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters! Let every person be quick to listen, slow to speak, slow to anger.” James 1:19 (NET)