Colorblind

So he got up and went to his father.

“But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.

“The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’

“But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate.  Luke 15:20-24

Who came up with the concept of being ‘colorblind?’  Yes, there are people who are literally color-blind, but I have heard that phrase used often in conversation with people with respect to their view on race.  “I don’t see color when talking to people,” is what some would say to me as if it were a badge of honor.  “It does not matter what color you are.  I see you as a brother in Christ,” is the latest version of it that I hear.  Now, I understand where the people are coming from, and assuming positive intent, I am sure they mean well when they say.  However, I want to let you in on a little secret the next time you have the urge to say it.  It is the worst thing to say to a person of color and particularly a Christian.  “Why?  God doesn’t see color,” is the most commonly response when I say that.  I mean it sounds like a very Christian thing to say.  He or she is noting that God loves us no matter what our color is, and that is true.  It is also true that most teen fathers struggle to make a living, and yet, here I am.  My point?  All because it is true does not necessarily make it relevant.

God made us different as a test of our faith.  The test is not to see if you embrace someone as you would anyone.  It is to test if you would embrace them for who they are!  The story of the prodigal son as many know is filled with lessons.  Today, I look to the part of the father running to His lost younger son.  Remember this son was ungrateful as he left, and many would say he was unworthy of this kind of celebration.  Yet instead of focusing on his son’s sins, he focused on his return acknowledging where he was (dead, lost).  We often see someone different from us, and we look at them from where ‘we’ are.  A key to this story is we must always find people at their level.  That is exactly what God does.  He finds us where we are and raises us up.  He does not stay where He is and tell us to climb.  To be clear, I am not saying we are not all brothers and sisters in Christ.  I am saying that when you see someone who is not like you, ask them about themselves and understand where they come from.  See where they are, and then, determine how to move forward.  Furthermore, be the authentic person God made you to be.  Reach out earnestly and with love.  They will embrace it and more importantly, so will God.

The beauty of God is that as His creation, we get a front row seat to His intentionality.  When we see a butterfly, it has different colors to it.  We could say that it is just like every other butterfly, but if we look through God’s lens, we see its uniqueness in comparison to other butterflies.  We will see its individual beauty.  Not compare it with others.   That is how to overcome colorblindness.  So l challenge you to love all people not only for their similarities but also because of their differences.  Who is God challenging you to find a greater relationship with someone not like you?  How can your circle of friends look more like a mosaic than just yourself?  My prayer is that we allow God to push our boundaries to avoid being ‘colorblind.’  Amen.

Open Your Eyes

And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye?   Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me remove the speck from your eye’; and look, a plank is in your own eye?  Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.  Matthew 7:3-5

The other day, a lady fell while walking, and broke her nose.  With her face on the ground covered with blood, my wife raced to help her, and summonsed my daughter and me to assist.  We found out that she lived about a half mile down the street.  I offered to take her home, and we offered to pick her up.  She kindly refused, and asked that I get her husband.  I raced over to the address she gave to get him.  He picked up his son, and they drove to meet me at the location where his wife was.  As he arrived, he asked if she could get up.  She acknowledged that she was not sure.  He asked her to get up, and my wife helped her get to her feet.  They walked her to the car, and soon, they were on their way.  My wife and I were grateful we were able to help them, and gave praise to God that we could.

This is the kind of story we tell about how we as Christians help others in need.  They are indeed necessary and reinforce the goodness of God.  But what if this was not the full story.  What if there was a bit more color in this picture.  How would it change?  Here is how.

The other day, a lady fell while walking, and broke her nose.  With her face on the ground covered with blood, my wife raced to help her, and summonsed my daughter and me to assist.  We found out that she lived about a half mile down the street.  I offered to take her home, and we offered to pick her up.  She kindly refused, and only asked that I get her husband.  I raced over to the address she gave to get him.  I rang the doorbell, and there was no answer.  I knocked.  Still no answer.  I went back to my car only to notice the husband getting in his car in the driveway.  I asked if his wife was named ‘Linda.’  He said yes.  He received a message on his phone about the accident, and was on his way.  He picked up his son, and they drove to meet me at the location where his wife was.  I noticed right away something wasn’t right when we talked.  Why didn’t he seem concerned?  In fact, why did he look inconvenienced?  Furthermore, why didn’t he follow me back?  I arrived at location of the accident, and he arrived a minute later.  As he arrived, he asked if she could get up.  She acknowledged that she was not sure.  He asked her to get up looking at us as if he was embarrassed that we, an African American family, had helped her, and my wife helped her get to her feet.  They walked her to the car, and soon, they were on their way.  There was no thank you.  No gratitude.  Just left.  My wife and I were grateful we were able to help them, and gave praise to God that we could for our act of kindness may change their hearts one day.

God’s love truly does conquer all, and while we stand in the light of His grace, we stand in a world where darkness still exists.  I share this not because of a belief that people are racist.  I share because an awesome and amazing God tells us to serve Him above all our prejudices and feelings.  God would not want us to ever tolerate this type of behavior, and to accept it at any level is a failure.  My wife and I choose to forgive remaining as loving of others as God is as loving of us.  Any failure to love others is the plank we must remove from our own eyes.  Only then can we see how hurtful it is when people do not love God’s people as we do.  We pray that those who read this would also choose never accept the type of behavior we endured.  My prayer is your eyes are open to this.  Please.  Amen.

It's Uncomfortable

“Then these righteous ones will reply, ‘Lord, when did we ever see you hungry and feed you? Or thirsty and give you something to drink?  Or a stranger and show you hospitality? Or naked and give you clothing? When did we ever see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ 

“And the King will say, ‘I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!’"  Matthew 25:37-40

This is a very difficult devotion for me to write.  Don't fret!  This is not a parting devotion.  However, this is one that will make some very clear statements, and some of you will feel very uncomfortable.  If it does, then I am happy because as much as I prefer not to have conflict, I must because I trust that God loves us enough that we can discuss this openly.  Trust that you understand what is said is not meant as malicious or ill willed.  It is simply because I love you enough to share my world with you.  There is a part of me that knows I’m entering the danger, but God simply put something in my heart I can no longer simply ignore.

We are living in a time where there is a deepening racial divide.  Although I have been blessed to be around a number of beautiful people who would look at me as just Kent, I live in a world that still does not understand what it means to be black in America.  It does not mean that I hold ill will if you do not understand, and I will still smile to say hello regardless of what race you may be.  I bring up my race not to insult you.  It is however to remind you.  It is to remind you that when I am not in the room and you hear someone say something racially insensitive, it is totally unacceptable, and I would expect you to speak as if I was there.  It is to look at me as a friend even when your experience with other African Americans may have been negative.  All because I may look like them does not mean I or the next person acts like them.  It is to say that when there is outrage after a policeman is shot but silence when an innocent black man is, I would ask you to look in the mirror because something is very wrong with that picture.  And when you support a candidate who has proven on multiple occasions that he violates Jesus’ greatest commandment, to love thy neighbor as thyself, all because he will either support the Supreme Court or change things, I will simply say your heart is in the wrong place, and you need to know this.  Why?  Because of the verses above.  If something hurt me, it would not bother me at all for you, the reader, to disagree.  But if it hurts those closest to me too, that tells me my feelings are not that far off, and it is not political or media induced.  It is very personal.  If any or all of this makes you uncomfortable, I am not sorry.  It is the discomfort I have carried for years that pushed me to write this.

God wants us to grow through our discomfort to better love one another.  I brought up today's verses because doing what is right is not always comfortable, but we should always seek it for the greater good of God's Kingdom.  It is easy for us to simply be good people loving God and being good to others.  However allowing others to say offensive things about another or be racially insensitive just to not offend them is never acceptable.  Ever.  My greatest fear was that my feelings on this would offend others who would call me overly sensitive.  Jesus was never one to shy away from controversy.  He did not walk into the synagogue to make the Pharisees feel comfortable.  He made it uncomfortable.  Very uncomfortable!  God challenges us to do things we are not always comfortable doing for His will.  Not ours.  It is never easy, but it is always righteous.

We cannot be Christians and dismiss the wrongs in the world.  One of the reason God and politics do not mix well is because both sides pick what they like but yet none are willing to embrace all of what Jesus Christ teaches.  My goal is not to have people change party lines.  It is to simply look to Him and acknowledge that there are some fundamental things we just should not tolerate any more.  We can support police while crying for justice when one of them does wrong.  We can learn to understand the pain of one who was both white and a minority in the city, and we can stand up for one who is black and makes us uncomfortable.  We can still love our country and show love and respect for a person who holds their fist up in the air or kneels down to bring awareness of civil injustice.  God did not make us the same color to challenge us to look beyond our skin.  And yes, He loves all of us!.  As such, we are to love each other freely and unconditionally.  It does not ask us to pick those we know.  It says to love all of our neighbor as ourselves.  Do you have God's love in your heart yet deny Him with others?  Are you willing to feel discomfort to challenge your own views on race?  My prayer is that we fight our own unconscious racial bias understanding our discomfort God is placing in our minds and hearts.  Amen.