When people have grown up in a different country from you, and they speak the language of the country of their birth, you don’t think it so odd that they speak a different language from the one you speak. It is not a surprise. Language is an amazing thing, and you may even admire that they speak a language you don’t know, and that they speak it so fluently. You may not understand the language they speak, and yet you understand how it is that they speak a different language.

Nevertheless, when some others do not believe in what you believe, in politics, in religion, in God, in what you see as simple common sense, there is a tendency for you to get perturbed, if not downright angry, simply because this person has a viewpoint different from yours. “How can they be so ignorant,” you think. “What is the matter with them?” And you fume.

Beloveds, what is the difference between this person and someone who grew up in another country and speaks another language?

Even if others grew up next door to you, they grew up in another country, as it were. They grew up in a different context. They speak a language different from yours, and you see that as a defect. You are impatient with them.

Even people who grew up in the same home as you may see the world entirely differently. Would you really want everyone to see eye-to-eye with you? Your ego would like that, but do you have to want that?

Even in small matters, when others don’t see as you see, you may look askance at them. You may like contemporary furniture, and they may like Victorian, and you think: “What is the matter with them?”

You may favor one color, blue, for example, and they favor purple, and you may disdain their choice.

There are even those who like the color of their skin and look down on skin another shade of color. Did you ever hear of anything so foolish?

Beware when you think something has to be only the way you see it. Preferences are not the making of anyone. They certainly are not the making of you.

Why be proud of being opinionated?

Maybe you look down on someone who is short. You may think he or she is less than you who are tall.

The concept of brotherhood does not mean selective brotherhood. It is not a pick and choose. It means caring for all, not just for some that you consider allowable. You are not wonderful to care about some and dismiss others. It is better to think of human beings than classes of human beings.

In the same way, it behooves you to be caring of all animals, not just some. You are to be gentle with all.

There are prejudices you have, pro and con, that you are conscious of, and there are prejudices that you are unaware of. When you are aware, you have a good chance of removing old thinking.

Once again, We are speaking of letting go of the past. You don’t have to worry about letting go of your very foundation. The past is not your foundation. Love is your foundation. I am your Foundation. You don’t really think that I prefer one corner of the world to another, do you? Or men over women? If you wish to consider that I have a preference, my preference is all, I prefer all, the lame, the halt, the brilliant, the slow, the rich, the poor, the old, the young. I prefer all. Even those with eyes that cannot see, and ears that cannot hear, I prefer you too.