Coming face to face with COVID-19 and our privilege
Before COVID-19 really kicked into high gear, a friend said something that was so profound that it sticks in my mind. He was predicting that COVID-19 would be a global pandemic (spoiler alert: he was right). What stuck out in my mind was how he reminded me of the fact that it is a privilege that this pandemic is just for a season. He reminded me that people live their lives with the constant thought that if they leave their house or their mosquito netting, they could contract Malaria, Ebola, or a number of communicable diseases. Not only do they live in that constant, but they do not have the easy access to health care that we have.
I am not saying that we should be downplaying the severity of COVID-19. It is impacting our world currently and will be a significant part of our history. But I think that it is crazy that even in our distress, we experience privilege. It might not feel like privilege. This season is hard in a multitude of ways. It is complex and its implications on people's lives are significant
The idea of privilege can be hard to wrap your brain around. A great definition used by a lot of people that I respect, is that privilege is when you have the choice whether or not to engage in an issue. Whether that is an issue of racial reconciliation, wage gap, health care, poverty, mental health, affordable housing, political unrest or a myriad of other social issues, many of us have the choice whether or not we learn about the problems that exist, simply because we are not directly affected by the issue at hand.
To the people who believe that if a problem does not directly impact you, it means that it is “not where God is calling you”: Jesus searched out the people who were marginalized. He went into their communities and welcomed them to be close to Him. In the same breath, you are not the hero. You are not going to “save people”. The only Saviour is the one who died on the cross for us. Your privilege will convince you that you are above others. That is what the world teaches but it is certainly not what Jesus teaches. Jesus showed us example after example of lowering yourself and raising others up.
It feels like I hit the birth lottery sometimes (actually often). I am white, North American, middle class, able-bodied, educated and Christian. That’s a lot of privilege right there. My life is not perfect. Privilege does not equal a perfect life. My life is not perfect but I have quite a few areas of privilege that I need to be mindful of. All of those privileges will often teach me how valuable I am. I am valuable... but because I am a child of God, not because of where and how I was born.
Speaking of where I was born, I think that it should also be mentioned that the majority of us hold spaces of privilege in our own local communities. Privilege is not always a difference in culture or country, but the space that you take up within your community. A friend of mine mentioned once that he realized his privilege just by learning about people who lived a few blocks from him. Privilege can look like living in a home with two stable, loving parents. Privilege is not knowing someone who has been incarcerated. Privilege is going to a good school, having access to safe community spaces, or having safe home.
A few different people have brought up how ingrained privilege is in our communities. Have we considered that when we convert all of our schooling online, that not every person has easy access to Internet connection? Have we considered how lucky many of us are to have a home to be isolated in? Have we considered how issues such as assault and domestic abuse happen in the homes where people now have no escape from? I do not pose these questions to make you feel like you need to solve these hard and often systemic issues. I simply hope that it opens your eyes to the idea that privilege exists and it's a lot closer to you than you think.
A friend brought up an incredible powerful point: privilege is not always an “evil” thing. When we each take whatever privilege we have been given and use it for God’s glory, it can be a powerful force. If we as Christians want to truly follow Jesus as an example, he is the ultimate projection of what it looks like to use our individual privilege for God’s glory. Jesus came down onto earth and chose to take the privilege he had as a jewish, sinless, man (not to mention being the Son of God) and made space for those on the margins. He spoke their value out loud for everyone to hear. He saw them even when it went against what authorities thought was appropriate. He led with humility and sacrifice. As expressed by my friend Shams “Jesus had all the privilege in the world as the Son, yet He chose to utilize this privilege to come into this world and die for it when He would have had every right to sit on His hands.”
So what does it look like to take what privilege you have and foster it well while also not making yourself the hero of the story?
It looks like elevating others’ voices that are different from our own that are still valuable but not heard from as often.
It looks like positioning your heart with humility and a willingness to learn. You don’t know everything. We all have blind spots.
It also means that you choose whom you support both in public and behind closed doors. Where do you need to get out of the way even slightly to open up the opportunity for someone else to be able to step in? How are you using your spheres of influence to open up new opportunities for others?
One of my favourite spaces that is both collaborative and empowering is called Kiva. It is probably one of the easiest ways to be a part of empowering hard working people of nearly every economic, racial, religious, and cultural background. Kiva is an online platform that you can use to give loans of as little as $25. It is not a hand out. It is a loan to help people increase their business capacity, improve their community, or provide for their household. I have been using Kiva for years and highly recommend it as an easy way to engage with the stories of other people and open a financial door that furthers their ability to become leaders in their own communities. Here is the link to check them out: https://www.kiva.org/
The idea of coming face-to-face with the privilege that you experience might not be something that you can engage with during this season. That is okay. Maybe it is something to think about when all of this is over. Maybe it is something to remember when we start to see all the ways that this will continue to impact the world around us. Maybe when we step back into our lives filled with consistency, stability, privilege and wealth (not that you are wealthy but that you experience a degree of wealth), we can remember what it felt like to do without. Even if just for a season. Even if only to a degree.