What new perspectives have opened up for me recently?

In a class I am taking at my church, I am learning to see my life and spiritual views in terms of race. I am a white American who has some advantages that other minority groups are not always as fortunate to have. This is not my fault nor is it something to be guilty for, but it is an inspiration to stand up for the oppressed so that they, too, can have the advantages I have as a straight, white male. I am also looking closely at the white Jesus. Personally, I do not know that it is wrong to portray Jesus as white, since cultures tend to portray religious figures in their own likeness. I think the problem comes when that becomes so normative that any other representation seems “wrong” or “out of place.” I enjoyed looking at the pictures of Chinese Jesus, black Jesus, likely historical Jesus (as portrayed in Time Magazine), and Indian Jesus, as these allowed me to see Jesus as a figure who is relevant to all cultures. Furthermore, I am learning to see life as a school in which we are growing our spiritual nature, and I am becoming more aware of beauty, nature, and the spiritual nature of reality.