Day 17
Wednesday, August 17th
First on my mind this morning, were thoughts about the movie "The Help". Having seen it just last night, with a group of friends - it's fresh on my mind. It's hard to imagine living in a world where people were treated as insignificant, solely because of the color of their skin. Racism is one of those things that has bewildered me for as long as I recall.
I have many black friends whom I love dearly and trust implicitly. Some are mentors, some peers. Like most of my friends - they are incredible, Godly, fun, trustworthy - "salt of the earth". It sickens me to think that just a few decades ago, they would've been alienated because of a darker complexion.
Born in the second half of 1968 - I never experienced segregation and racial bias firsthand. If I witnessed it as a small child, I was oblivious. It wasn't until just a few years ago, that I learned the elementary school I attended as a child had been an exclusively "black" school until a year or two before I was enrolled in first grade. (Kimball Bridge Elementary School in Alpharetta... no longer there.)
While there are still "closed minded" people who choose to assign values and expectations based on superficial factors - their number seems to be dwindling. I look forward to a day when there is no remaining prejudice whatsoever - whether bias against a certain color, national origin, religious affiliation, etc.
Visiting the MLK Center, learning about the racial tensions of the 60s through books and movies, hearing stories from "older generations" - I am extremely grateful that we live in a world today, where color does not limit one's options.
I'll also go out on a limb and say that while I'm NOT a fan of President Obama - I'm grateful that our nation did not allow color to prohibit his presidential victory. On that note, I was not a fan of President Clinton either.... BUT realize that in both cases, we are called to respect the position these men hold, regardless of their policies and political positions. (Romans 13:1-7)
During my freshman year at NGC, my roommate, Bethany - turned me on to "new wave" and among the groups we listened to most often was Depeche Mode. Their song "People are People" was a thought-provoking favorite. (I attempted to load the music video below)
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During my freshman year at NGC, my roommate, Bethany - turned me on to "new wave" and among the groups we listened to most often was Depeche Mode. Their song "People are People" was a thought-provoking favorite. (I attempted to load the music video below)
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1Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. 2Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment. 3For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval, 4for he is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God’s wrath on the wrongdoer. 5Therefore one must be in subjection, not only to avoid God’s wrath but also for the sake of conscience. 6For because of this you also pay taxes, for the authorities are ministers of God, attending to this very thing. 7 Pay to all what is owed to them: taxes to whom taxes are owed, revenue to whom revenue is owed, respect to whom respect is owed, honor to whom honor is owed. (Romans 13:1-7)
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