‘Othering’

I am 76 now (I think … because it changes every year, so it’s hard to answer that quickly sometimes). I cannot walk as fast as I used to. And about the time I figure out that I should sit down and take it easy for a couple of weeks, something comes along in this community that makes me sit straight up! And that’s what has happened to me today with “othering.” So instead of sitting down and taking it easy, I am writing to you. 

Are you as amazed as I am by how much you learn as part of this Providence Community? For quite some time, my friend Providence Associate Pearlette Springer has been talking about “othering” and the “other.” I nod, not wanting to show my ignorance. Pearlette patiently pauses, smiles at me, and moves on. She knows I do not get it. I need to clarify something to all my friends in this Providence Community (including Pearlette): I was not familiar with the term “othering” before this week. But I sure do understand it now!

After writing and studying with our Providence Justice Coordinating Committee JUSTus Podcast and newsletter team, I finally understand “other” and “othering.” It’s amazing how blind one can be. But my teammates (Providence Assoicates Pearlette and Suzie Ray, Sister Emily Tekolste and Sister Barbara Battista) are patient and know that sometimes I cannot take it all in at once. The word others has a long history in our language. But othering is new to me and took some time to absorb. 

The word othering was foreign to me. I had to resort to Mr. Google, online dictionaries, synonyms, etc. Looking at a word as a noun or a verb can help, and WordHippo will show examples. Othering is a phenomenon in which some individuals or groups are defined and labeled as not fitting in within the norms of a social group. Othering is not new — though it was surely new to me.

Do I see myself ‘othering’ people? I hope not, but in fact, I think I do. Writer Patrick Saint-Jean, SJ,  tells us that “More than ever, our American Catholic Church is polarized by its factions: pro-life vs. pro-choice, gun restrictions vs. pro-gun, Democrat vs. Republican, CNN vs. Fox News.” In looking at either/or, I see where otherness comes in. And while I said I did not understand it, I must admit that I practiced it (unaware and subconsciously) for a long time. 

When our Saint Mother Theodore Guerin arrived in New Orleans, she witnessed some of the worst of “othering” in the slave trade. She was a champion of justice and did not succumb to the practice of “othering,” which highlights her saintliness in the modern world. 

If we “go deeper” as Sister Diane Mason taught us, we will be open to learning which puts us closer to our Creator. We are called to be members of this community and to be “present, holy, wise, humble, amiable and merciful.”

Here is what Sister Denise Wilkinson said in 2016 applying the concept of Mercy to the Earth: “Since mercy is an attitude of on-going respect and love between/among equals, I believe one way to show mercy toward Earth is to stop perceiving Earth as separate from us and to start seeing Earth as equal to humans — to begin living as one united life force, one united manifestation of God’s incarnation.” Look at that — I think I’ve (Jane) been “othering” the earth!

Thank you, my dear Providence community, for not “othering” me. And for teaching me yet again. And, Pearlette, thank you for being patient and guiding me in discovering othering.