X is for Xenophilic

Xenophilic, for those who don't know, is love of 'strangers/foreigners/outsiders'. It is the opposite of Xenophobic.

Now, I'm not implying the obsessive Xenophilia where you are embarrassed about your own culture.  And I am most certainly not thinking about the perverse Xenophilia such as pedophilia and such, which you can find examples of all over the net and really DON'T need to be shared.

No.

I am more thinking on the lines of not distrusting other cultures and differences simply because they are unfamiliar, or just not your culture.

I think a bit more on the lines Xenophilius Lovegood who raised a child like Luna Lovegood in the Harry Potter novels. The character was wildly eccentric, open-minded about things most people refuse to believe, and the kind of man who stands up for the unpopular, yet right view.

Whenever I think of Xenophilia, think of the film "My Big Fat Greek Wedding".




It is one of my favorites movies.

A Xeno... what Gus is saying, is a foreigner. The lady who is the star once said in an interview that the film is a small parody on her own experience. And she said that it always struck her funny that her father called those who were not Greek 'foreigners', even if they were in America and the person he was talking about was American. So, obviously xeno meant 'outsider' in his case.

I think every community has this insider/outsider dichotomy that causes a lot of trouble in the world. This US verses THEM thinking is what sparks animosity, hatred, distrust, and most of the hatful -isms of today (racism, sexism, etc...).  It is what made the Nazis choose to make the Jews their scapegoat for their economic troubles before WWII. It is the same reason jihadists aim to kill anyone who does not believe they way they do. It is also the same motive for Custer and the other Indian fighters to participate in the attempted annihilation of the native Lakota... the same reason why the Serbians and Croatians could not get along... the same reason why Israel and the Arab nations continue the centuries-long struggle... and the same reason why Apartheid had lasted as long as it had in South Africa. It is also the reason why citizens in the territories of the Unites States, such as American Samoa and Puerto Rico, can join the army but they do not have the vote.



Fact is, Xenophobia - fear of the outsider- is one of the root reasons we are having so much trouble between people.

Now, how do we know it is Xenophobia and they are not just being mean and selfish?

Honestly, I think it is natural for anyone to feel an initial aversion to something different from what a person is used to - regardless of race, gender, or cultural upbringing. It is a safety mechanism that protects us from dangerous things, such as unhealthy behavior and possible disease. Discernment is an important skill for survival. It helps young ladies avoid creepy men. It helps young men avoid the psycho ladies. It helps children avoid those that might harm them.

HOWEVER, there is a difference between noticing something is not kosher, and simply choosing to hate something for being different. Where one is truly rational - such as noticing a man in the park playing with knives with scars carved into his own skin - and running away fast...
And the other irrational - such as disliking someone playing with knives...in a circus, on stage, grinning with during his performance, which the occasional scar because he had slipped in practice once, simply because he's circus folk.

Also, we must not forget that "the natural man is an enemy to God, and has been since the fall of Adam." And though it is natural to distrust at first things which are different, the intelligent and civilized human being thinks before coming to a conclusion.

So, where is it Xenophobia and where it is just meanness? Personally, I think we choose what we hate the same way we choose what we wear. One might have a natural aversion to wool, as it is itchy, but it is another thing to refuse to ever wear wool, to make fun of people who wear wool, and to campaign against the creation of wool.

Xenophilia (in the least perverse sense) is compassion for the different. It is the attempt of outreach to the thing that is new or foreign. It is the allowance that there is something new to be learned. It is expansive and open. It is in fact the thing that allows children and adults to try new foods, listen to new music, and to see things they never have seen before. It is the attitude of an explorer - but not a conqueror. It is the attitude of a peace emissary, but not a lobbyist.

How is this a Godly trait?

God commands us to love our neighbors and love our enemies. It is at the heart of Christian doctrine. Hate has no place in it. Jesus himself spent time with those that were outcasts to show how God loves all. And he spent time with them, teaching them the ways towards happiness.

Being Xenophilic in the best sense does not mean accepting every practice that exists on planet earth by everyone simply because it is different and new - that's just plain nuts. But it does consist of caring about the well-being of all, being humble, and teachable.

X is for Xenophilic.