The Day I Stepped on a Slug
I rushed out on to the dimly lit path to hand off the goodies that were left on the kitchen counter. You see, my children had come over to visit and we had enjoyed a sumptuous meal together. As usual, containers of leftover goodies were packed and bagged to be enjoyed the next day. We said our goodbyes, and it was then that I noticed a container that was sitting all alone on the counter. I think it might have been some of my famous bread pudding. Without much forethought, I grabbed the container of the delectable dessert and dashed barefooted through the front door. As I ran down the dimly lit path from the house to the driveway, I felt it. Something soft and squishy under my right heel. Terror!
I arrived at the car door in panic. My famous and amazing son-in-law immediately offered to accompany me back to my front door as I limped almost in pain refusing to put my right heel back on the ground. As we traversed the dangerous path back to the house, he used the flashlight app on his state-of-the-art Samsung phone to light the way … and yes, it was confirmed. A half-dead squishy slug! With this sight etched in my mind I was even more adamant about refusing to put my right heel down. I scorned my own foot. I limped inside the house, got wads of paper towel, crawled upstairs, and went to the bathroom. As I sat on the side of the bath, leg extended inside the tub. I poured tons of sweet-smelling liquid soap on the paper towel to help wash away the “gluck”. I would not dare touch my own foot. Having bathed away the virtually invisible offending slime with mountains of soap and having dried my ailing heel with fresh and copious amounts of paper towels, I finally felt I could reclaim ownership of this important part of my body.
You see. I had absolutely no concern whatsoever for that slug. After all, it was a mere slimy slug and the paved walkway between my front door and my driveway belonged to me. That slug had no right to be there.
As I later reflected on this experience it dawned on me that any desire I might have had to avoid the slug would have been to protect me, not that slimy oozy little critter. And, it occurred to me that is sometimes not difficult for us to see and treat others as mere slugs who have no right to be in our space. When “certain people” dare invade our territory, we can quickly shift to avoidance mode, or we can carelessly trample, scorn, and even destroy their homes, their lives, their jobs, and their families.
We give ourselves the right to act unjustly and to justify our acts of selfishness when we see our brothers and sisters as nothing more than mere slugs instead of as humans like us created in the image of God with equal value and dignity. That is the effect of moral exclusion.
As we tread down the path of life in a world where everything seems to be unclear and so “dimly lit”, may we take the time to walk cautiously and to recognize the value and worth of all human beings.
“Moral exclusion occurs when individuals or groups are perceived as outside the boundary in which moral values, rules, and considerations of fairness apply. Those who are morally excluded are perceived as nonentities, expendable, or undeserving. Consequently, harming or exploiting them appears to be appropriate, acceptable, or just.”