Bountiful
Blessings
March 1, 2015
Ok, so God has giving me a playful nudge to begin writing my
weekly devotions again. I dropped the ball. Big time. My last one was December ?! So, here we go again, my friends. Our time
together - to write and to read, to laugh at my trials and errors, to work
through the puzzles and to spend a little time with God. You good with that?
When I sat down to think about what I wanted to write, I
decided go big or go home. I am going to write about the sensitive subject of race. Yea, it is one of those topics
that is taboo. But why? Why do we shy away from it? It is a beautiful part of
who we are.
I am taking a multicultural class this semester and I am
learning that the more I thought I knew, the less I actually knew. Some of it
is a difference of opinion. (My teacher and I do not always agree. Shocking,
huh?) Some of it is my (sometimes faulty) perceptions based on society and
other influencing factors. The class is teaching us to recognize and respect
differences while embracing our similarities. Seems rather obvious, doesn’t it?
Why should I need a class to teach me that?
One thing that I found both fascinating and horrifying was
microaggressions. Little, often subtle, words or behaviors that can be hurtful
or discriminating. We watched a video with examples such as a woman starting to
get on an elevator. She sees a single African American man already on the
elevator. She hesitates before getting
on and then puts her hand on her purse. Huh??? Do we really do things like
that? There were other examples featuring all different races but all just as
bad. Made me very conscious of things that I say or do. A good thing. We should
all be more careful about how we treat people whether it is race, culture, age,
weight or looks.
We have all been the victim of some type of discrimination.
We may not have recognized it for that but if you are judged for our
appearance, well, you have faced discrimination. I have heard everything from
the color of skin to age to the size of female attributes. C’mon people, are you serious? You are making
a judgment, a judgment that you have no right to make. The Bible is clear that
we should not judge others. Judging them and finding them wanting, well, I am
pretty sure Jesus did not make exceptions for those you deem less worthy of
you. Pretty sure. Ok, here is another example. Do you watch Survivor? The
oldest person on the tribe is considered weak right off the bat. Why? Because
the younger ones look at them and decide that they are old and therefore, weak,
and not worthy of the title of Survivor. They openly talk about the older
people (on Survivor, old means forty and up, btw). Discrimination. Judgment. Oh, it is easy for us to pinpoint the
discrimination as we watch videos or a game show. Are we that quick to point it
out in our own lives? Hmmmm……
So, my final thought – please pay attention to your words,
your actions, your behaviors. I know that you would not intentionally hurt
someone. But sometimes, the slights are unintentional and you may not even
realize it. Hurt is hurt. So whether you are black or white, male or female,
tall and thin or short and fat, gay or straight, Christian or agnostic, YOU ARE
BEAUTIFUL and YOU ARE IMPORTANT! Do not let anyone make you feel otherwise.
Bible verse for the
week:
“For there
is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all,
bestowing his riches on all who call on him”. Romans 10:12
Thought for the week:
Write more often.
Get on soapbox less often. Oh, sorry, that was my thought to myself!
Bible fun for the week – how well do
you know your Bible verses?
- Do not judge by __________, but judge with right judgment.”
- Whoever says he is in the light and hates his brother is still in ___________.
- So God created man in his own ________, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.
- A new commandment I give to you, that you love ___________: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.
- But if you show __________, you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors.
- For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. For in one Spirit we were all ___________ into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit.
- So Peter opened his mouth and said: “Truly I understand that God shows no ____________, but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him.
Picture for the week:
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