Color Blind

Racism exists in the body of Christ.  And it’s unfortunate.  My Bible doesn’t read like there will be black section and white section in heaven.  But that’s how we worship here on earth.  Listen, I’m not talking about ya’ll.  I’m talking about me. 

I’m a member of a black Baptist church.  I’ve always been a member of a black church.  Give me that saxophone, and the drums, and the organ, and the choir. (But ya’ll could turn the monitors down because I’m trying to preserve my hearing.)

The interesting thing is that my first best friend was white.  We went to elementary school together.  Both of her parents were doctors.  She lived within walking distance of the school.  Sometimes, I’d go to her house after school, and the nanny would have our snacks waiting for us when we got there.  We took baths together.  We had sleepovers.  I’d go with her family to the lake. We did life together.

Then elementary school ended.  At the time, I wanted to be a pediatrician and do hair on the weekends (don’t judge me) so my mom decided that Horace Mann Arts and Science Magnet was the best place for me.  I was FURIOUS!  She broke up the terrific twosome!

We tried to keep our friendship intact.  But this was in the days before Facebook and social media.  We were just living two completely different lives.  And even when we got together, it wasn’t the same.  We were having two separate experiences.

That’s the problem with the body of Christ.  We say that we serve the same God, but we’re having two separate experiences.  Living on this earth as a black woman is a completely different experience than living on this earth as a white woman.  I’ve told you before that I deal in facts, so let me give you some from my personal experience.

When I first moved back to Arkansas, the clinical supervisor called me into the office.  I was doing home health at the time.  I had just finished my initial session with a new friend.  She wanted to know how the session went.  I told her it was fine.  She said “That’s good.  His mother really didn’t want you to be his therapist.  She called here after you called to set up his initial appointment and asked for someone that was easier to understand.  But I knew what she meant.  Let me know if you have any problems.”

Excuse me…what????  Is this real life?  The crazy thing is that the mother never talked down to me or presented as anything other than pleasant.  It was only later that I found out that speech was the only therapy that he received in the clinic.  Everyone else provided his services in her home.  She probably had small group sessions in her home all the time.  She probably prayed fervently for others to come to know Jesus but had an illness on the inside that was eating her alive. 

Blacks are in the minority in my profession, so I come across situations like this regularly.  I’ve been in another room and heard a therapist use the word nigger to add sauce to their conversation.  And not just one time…repeatedly.  So much so, that it made co-workers come to me and apologize on their behalf.  This same individual proudly proclaims a deep and unwavering faith in Christ Jesus.

Does your friend circle look like heaven or is it segregated?  I’m a firm believer in upholding your own culture and traditions.  But I also believe that you can be friends with people who don’t look like you.  I’m not color blind.  I see my chocolate skin everyday when I look in the mirror.  I see your skin, too.  To be honest, I had issues becoming friends with Princess because I could see her skin.  That skin hasn’t always been nice to me or my people.

But my God is bigger than the outside.  He looks at the heart.  I know that Princess has a heart for me and a heart for God.  That revelation didn’t come overnight.  IT WAS A PROCESS!!!  I don’t let many people in.  An initiation has to take place.  Check your own heart and feelings toward people of a different race.  Let God initiate a change in your heart.  #wepreach