Martin Luther King
I've gotta admit. I'm a little miffed that the church office is open on MLK day. I know... the bylaws don't give us this day off, and the bylaws take years to catch up with the times. One day, we'll take this day off with the rest of society, but for today, the office is up and running. But that's a good thing - for me. It reminds me of how far I've come in this issue of race.
When I went to college, my roommates confronted me one day about my apparent "racism." Racism? What were they talking about? They pointed to a few racial remarks and jokes I had told. I explained that in Texas, we talked like this, but meant nothing by it. After all, the three of them were from New Jersey and New York! They were too uptight, I said. But I thought about what they said and began an inward journey to understand what I truly felt deep down about people of other races.
My lifechanging moment came in 1998 when Imani came into my life. As a "temporary" foster child in our home, Imani was as black as one gets, and 18 months old. I remember holding her the first time. She tried to kiss me. I wondered deep down inside if that was ok! Maybe I wasn't where I should be after all.
Little did we know God would keep her in our home for nearly two years, and it changed me significantly. Imani stopped being black shortly after we got her. I remember walking through restaurants wondering why people were staring. Then I'd remember how it must have looked for a white couple to be loving on a little black girl. Imani came to me as a stereotypical little African-American and left our home a beautiful angel. Every time I see a little black girl, I pray she has a daddy who feels for her what I felt for Imani.
So, I look back and I think about what my roommates said. I have to concede that while I may not have been a racist in the classic sense of the word, I had stereotypes in me that were wrong.
I can't say I've ever preached a sermon directly about racism. Not sure exactly how to preach it. But I think God has given me a chance to preach on it in a very different way. I'm happy that taking in a black girl and making her my child, and recently, forging ahead to hire an African-American music minister... these have challenged the people around me, and that's far more valuable than a sermon.
I listened recently to a speech from MLK just 24 hours before he was assassinated. King spoke of how God had carried him, like Moses, to the mountaintop. That he has seen the Promised Land. That the future of black America was strong. Ten years ago, his speech would have done little for me. Yesterday, it moved me deeply. And I was sad that our small office staff couldn't take the time to join their families to remember the strength of this man's character and vision.
I'm glad that I'm miffed. It reminds me of just how far God has brought me.
When I went to college, my roommates confronted me one day about my apparent "racism." Racism? What were they talking about? They pointed to a few racial remarks and jokes I had told. I explained that in Texas, we talked like this, but meant nothing by it. After all, the three of them were from New Jersey and New York! They were too uptight, I said. But I thought about what they said and began an inward journey to understand what I truly felt deep down about people of other races.
My lifechanging moment came in 1998 when Imani came into my life. As a "temporary" foster child in our home, Imani was as black as one gets, and 18 months old. I remember holding her the first time. She tried to kiss me. I wondered deep down inside if that was ok! Maybe I wasn't where I should be after all.
Little did we know God would keep her in our home for nearly two years, and it changed me significantly. Imani stopped being black shortly after we got her. I remember walking through restaurants wondering why people were staring. Then I'd remember how it must have looked for a white couple to be loving on a little black girl. Imani came to me as a stereotypical little African-American and left our home a beautiful angel. Every time I see a little black girl, I pray she has a daddy who feels for her what I felt for Imani.
So, I look back and I think about what my roommates said. I have to concede that while I may not have been a racist in the classic sense of the word, I had stereotypes in me that were wrong.
I can't say I've ever preached a sermon directly about racism. Not sure exactly how to preach it. But I think God has given me a chance to preach on it in a very different way. I'm happy that taking in a black girl and making her my child, and recently, forging ahead to hire an African-American music minister... these have challenged the people around me, and that's far more valuable than a sermon.
I listened recently to a speech from MLK just 24 hours before he was assassinated. King spoke of how God had carried him, like Moses, to the mountaintop. That he has seen the Promised Land. That the future of black America was strong. Ten years ago, his speech would have done little for me. Yesterday, it moved me deeply. And I was sad that our small office staff couldn't take the time to join their families to remember the strength of this man's character and vision.
I'm glad that I'm miffed. It reminds me of just how far God has brought me.
posted by RevDave at 11:35 AM
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