Robert at Musings of an Episcopal Padre asked an insightful, albeit disturbing, question the other day in his entry thought for today. Robert was commenting about how privilege-laden executives at US auto makers were flying to Washington in their private planes to seek a bailout for their industry. He then concluded with "How do I make use of my privilege in such obvious ways to others while I'm completely ignorant of it?"
We complain about politicians who seem so out of touch with the suffering of those they are supposed to look after. We rail against the obvious abuse of privilege that corporate executives apparently take for granted. We fuss and fume about our inconsiderate and wasteful neighbors and co-workers.
But we don't consider how our actions look to others. Especially those who are further down the prosperity ladder. Truth be told, we make use of our privileges all the time.
Each time those who are buying gasoline fill up their gas tank with ethanol fuel made from corn, imagine how privileged and uncaring they must seem to those who can no longer afford to buy food to feed their family.
Imagine how privileged the people who buy the imported fruit and vegetables year-round at their local supermarket must seem to people who live in huts at the edge of the sea and watch that gradually rising sea wash away home, cropland, their family's future.
Consider how unbelievably wasteful our houses and office buildings with their lights blazing in empty rooms must seem to those who can no longer afford to pay their electricity bills. Or how all those Christmas lights must look to people who live in countries that are not driven by consumerism.
And each time we flush the toilet with sparkling, clean water how must we appear to those who have no access to clean, safe water for their children to drink.
Perhaps if we stepped back from our lives and viewed them as the majority of people on this planet would view them, we'd discover that there are many times in out privileged lives even in the course of one day that we can softly say to ourselves "No. I have to change."