I can't begin to explain to you how offended I get when someone uses a racial slur or make racist jokes or makes a derogatory comment about a race or ethnicity. It literally makes me crazy. It rocks me to the core.
Its always been like this for me. I don't care about color or ethinicity. Never have, never will. God made us all. He made us all a certain way (I think) based on the climate where He placed us. Nevertheless, HE MADE US ALL. IN HIS IMAGE!!
I got all jacked up about this because yesterday a bunch of people were talking about the OJ trial.... I looked at him and felt so sorry for him. Haven't you ever done something wrong and you are so glad that you never got caught? Haven't you ever done something and said I'll never do it again, but do. Have you ever been motivated by the wrong thing? Greed, sex, money, YOURSELF!
I made a comment, and I meant it. "he needs Jesus". The return comment "he was raised in a Christian home". Yeah. I got a bunch of students who were, and still made wrong decisions, still did drugs, still had sex, still fight. No one in their lives with true influence no one that chased after their hearts to help lead them to Christ. Another comment "money changes people". That's crap. And there were a few other racist comments. I was so ANGRY!!
I can't help but pray for him. I can't help but pray for countless others, even for a minute that need Jesus. Where prayer focuses, power falls. What if we sent up so many prayers at once about a particular person that God just couldn't help but say "all right already, I hear you!" (not that I think that's how/why He answers prayers but what if?") When do we say we should stop praying for someone? When they do something we don't like. When they do something and get grace and we don't think they should have. I'll tell you when... we never stop. I will pray for OJ, maybe not everyday, but I know that there will be days when God places him on my heart so strongly that I can't help but pray for him. Nothing will shake him from me. He needs Jesus. We all need Jesus. There's not a person I know that doesn't need Jesus, whether they admit it or not!
Racism sucks. If you are going to hate a person (well, you shouldn't hate), but hate the person not a race. Racial comments are crude. And then when people say "I was only joking". The mouth proclaims what the heart feels. Good or evil.
Rant over!
Romans 12:21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good
Comments
Good Post, Miss Margie
My father's family is from the deep south and those prejudices take generations to get past. I feel like we have made strides even within our own family. Our daughter dated a black man for a while and now she is married to a Mexican. It doesn't matter to us, what has always mattered was the quality of a person, the inner, the outward is less important. That argument about the children suffer if they're bi-racial is an outdated one anymore. Maybe they have identity issues but society doesn't discriminate against them like when I was growing up!
Connie