Today’s world is messed up. But you know what, so were the yesterdays of yesterday. The world has been messed up for a LONG time. Read your Bible. Read a history book. Read ANY book for goodness’ sake! People are messed up, so the world is messed up.
The recent death of George Floyd has thrown open the flood gates for stupidity, ignorance, and hate to run rampant. That, combined with The Corona (yes, I call it THE Corona) and its results, makes our world seem nonsensical.
But keep it simple. Love God. Love people.
We continue to divide each other by gender, race, socioeconomic status, age, and whatever differences we see in others in comparison to ourselves. Stop it. If you do that, you are part of the problem.
Each year, I lecture my students (in great wisdom, of course) to love one another. I do not see my kids as white, black, or brown… I see them as mine. Because they are God’s, and He has entrusted me to love them no matter what their differences.
When Larraine moved in with us, she made comments about ‘being black’ and whatnot. She told me she never felt “black enough to be considered black, but not white enough to be considered white.” How tragic that a child should feel that way. She is not white or black… she is mine. Because she is God’s, and He has entrusted me to love her no matter what.
So, she talked about ‘being black.’ Okay, that’s fine with me; whatever she wants to feel. BUT what I didn’t want is for my two boys to see her that way. They didn’t even know what a ‘black person’ was when she moved in. As far as they knew, people were brown or peach. How precious! Brown or peach. Like chocolate and fruit… both equally as sweet.
SJ was 8 years old when he came home and asked me, “Is (my friend’s name) black?”
I asked him what he thought.
“Well, I dunno. He looks brown to me, but he said he was black, so I guess so.”
PRE-SHUSH. My baby, who is so super white that he’s not even classifiable as peach, took 8 years to realize that one of his besties is considered ‘black.’
Wouldn’t the world be a better place if we could all be so precious… so innocent?
But we aren’t. And to dream of such seems like inviting an argument for ignorance. However, allow me to present an opportunity for us.
Stop with the classification.
Let us live in a world where character means more than color. The character of that officer is in question, no doubt. His actions are deplorable. But not because he killed a black man. But because he killed A MAN. Just as Cain slew Able and faced the consequences, so too should this man.
And just because he’s a policeman does not mean that all police are bad… nor that all police are racists. Senseless death is always senseless, no matter the color of skin.
Do NOT allow this one person’s actions to allow a foothold in your life for contention. We have come SO far in this country. We must continue forward in allowing our future generations to learn from our mistakes, but also rid themselves of the inequality of difference based on skin tones.
Keep it simple. Love God. Love people.
Magnolias and Coffee 