A Racist Tablemate

 If you are an introvert, or an introverted extravert, then a Viking River Cruise might not be for you. Don’t get me wrong, you will have a good time. And you will be well taken care of. But you will be exhausted from people time at the end of each day and you will not be able to eat alone for the entirety of your trip. Hopefully, though, you will make friends and begin eating with them so that conversation can move beyond small talk. But until you make friends, expect to answer these questions over and over again:

 

What’s your name?

Where are you from?

Is this your first Viking Cruise?

Where have you traveled before?

What do/did you do? 

 

Thankfully, JG and I have made friends with three couples, all from the pre-extension in Budapest. For my birthday, we all sat together at a table for 8, but for most meals, it’s just six of us.

 

Before we solidified our meal partners, though, JG and I ended up at a table with a somewhat awkward couple. At first, I thought everything would be OK because the wife was a teacher, and she loved Harry Potter. But then we started talking. She explained that she was moving from sixth grade to fifth grade and that she was hoping that this year would be a better year. 

 

Long story short, she was moving from a diverse inner-city school to a mostly white suburban school. She was moving from a poor area with students from apartment complexes to a rich area with students from houses. She didn’t say it flat out, but it was clear that she was happy that all of her students were going to be white. It was also clear that her husband was glad, too. He didn’t like “those Afghans” that they “dropped” into her classroom. 

 

I was so surprised when the husband made his loud, exasperated comment about “those afghans” that I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. I was so taken back by the couple’s disdain for diversity that I was speechless. I realized that I was in the presence of people very much living under the protections and expectations of American white privilege. And it disgusted me. 

 

Oh God. You created all of humanity in your image. Help us to see people as people and to celebrate and appreciate the diversity that each nation and culture brings. And God? Help me to have the courage to speak the next time I hear and experience blatant racism. Forgive me for all the times I have remained silent for fear of someone not liking me or whatever other fear may take hold of my heart. Help me to argue for Your love and Your justice. For You are good and right. Amen.