The conversation is one I have heard before, but for some reason this conversation hit me much harder today than it ever has before. Sure, I have been around racism in one form or another my whole life and I even have to admit that I have seen skin color as important at times in my past. I had no hatred of those with a different skin color because you see I grew up with as many people of color around me as I did white people. The racism that struck me today hurt for several different reasons. The first reason being that my dad was the man I was speaking to and my son who happens to be black was in the back seat of the care as he spoke. Please do not misunderstand me, my dad is a great man, loving and caring. I know that he absolutely loves my son, but because he grew up in the deep south, I guess it is a natural thing for him to believe the way he does. It is also difficult because he is 85 and not a Christian and my ulterior motive at this time is to see him come to be a child of God and not spend our final days arguing over something that only God can change about him. It is also difficult to discuss with him and others like him because it is a type of soft racism. There are no bad words thrown around, just insinuation and prejudice.
I write this blog today because as I listened to this man talk, this man whom I love so dearly, this man who worked so tirelessly to put food on the table, this man whom I knew would step in front of a bullet and give his life for me or any of the other 9 children in our house who was saying these hurtful things. I knew if this man could believe like this anyone could. I soon realized, no matter how I prepared my son there would be men like my father there to judge him based on the color of his skin before he had a chance to prove himself. I have always heard that if your child is of color you should prepare them for a world that is afraid of color. I guess today it just hit home. The hardest part of all is that it was my own father that brought the truth home.
So this leads me to my original question. Is racism still alive? Or is it just dying a slow death and won't go away quietly? Am I doing my part in ending what is left of this nasty disease that has plagued not only this nation, but also the whole world since sin entered in the Garden of Eden. Imagine a day and place with no racism, no subtle remarks, and no glaring looks from those who do not approve. As I get older and see more of how sin has tarnished this beautiful world God originally created, I long more for the world to come. Come Jesus now, come!
