When We Don’t Fit In

• Micro-aggression: An othering; it separates us. According to Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary, a microaggression is “a statement, action, or incident regarded as an instance of indirect, subtle, or unintentional discrimination against members of a marginalized group.”

• “I have been on a journey, really, and some of it has been learning to actually embrace and celebrate my ethnic heritage because most of my life I spent trying to fit in.”

• Here’s a kind way to ask a person of a different ethnic background about themselves:  “Will you share with me your ethnic heritage?” Also, learn your own ethnic heritage so you can contribute to the conversation.

• “American does not mean ‘white,’ and we tend to start to think that is the normal; and that is not necessarily normal. It’s its own experience.”

• There is a strong rooting that takes place when we understand who we are and where we are from.

• God intends for us to live in unity, but unity is not uniformity.

• “I am not going to let what would be injustice, impact my character.”

• “Instead of segregating our offerings into little cliques, which is so difficult, can we be more intentional of being inclusive?”

• How to help a friend who is healing: “To be a good friend, don’t offer advice. The present of presence just goes so much further.”

• We all heal differently, and learning to be a gracious receiver is hard. We need to be respectful that each of us handles suffering differently.

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