It’s All A Matter of Perspective

During this summer of racial tension. I have been trying to point out that our society has a problem. A lot of this has been done with personal stories as back up with some empirical data. This week I will let a video speak for me. It is a YouTube video that reached over 1 million hits.

The reason I am including this for you to view is to show that attitudes need to change. When you approach a situation and assume results based on the color of a person’s skin, you are making a pre-judgment about the person. There are deeper issues society needs to address. Some people will never get the benefit of the doubt. Some people will always raise suspension. And that is the heart of the issue that never gets addressed.

The perceptions about individual races have been cooked into the recipe. We have seen them played out in the media, on television sitcoms and read about them in books. The challenge now is, how do we get around what we believe to be true and see people as individuals. I would point to the words of the Apostle Paul. He talks about how God sees people. “The influential leaders didn’t add anything to what I was preaching—and whatever they were made no difference to me because God doesn’t show favoritism.” Gal. 2:6

As Paul was defending his calling as an apostle, he makes the point that God doesn’t play favorites. He doesn’t look at people based on their status in society. God doesn’t call the influential. He doesn’t pick the extraordinary. Instead, God uses the ordinary and by the power of his might and their obedience to his will does extraordinary things through him. I love that Jesus didn’t draft a team of all-star disciples. He called a team of ordinary Joes and made them into ministry Champions. Jesus saw their heart. My prayer in this whole issue in America is that God would allow us to see things through His eyes.