The Color Wars

 In Whom there is no Jew nor yet Greek.  There is no slave nor yet free, There is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.

Galatians 3: 28, Concordant New Testament

It has become common practice in our political climate that should someone disagree with personality or policy that said person must certainly be a racist.  If someone disagrees with a female then most assuredly they are a misogynist.  This is done to silence opinions, pure and simple.  However, this is not a post on politics and the like, but on how it is that our tendency has been to keep others in a constant state of submission.  I'm referring to our treatment of those whose skin color and/or ethnicity drive us to feel that they are somewhat inferior.  African Americans are lazy.  Orientals are smart and studious.  These are all stereotypes which we have laid at the feet of those who are different than ourselves.  Of course, even we have faced the pain of stereotypes as well.  For most of my life, my weight has been a stereotype to me.  People refer to me as larger, often creating crafty nicknames to emphasize my size.  I get it.  I admit to being offended on occasion, but recently I've come to see myself in another way.  I've come to see myself in a way that transcends the larger person which others have seen over the years.  You see, when I look at myself in the mirror these days I don't see the same large person I've become used to.  No, when I look into the mirror these days...I see only Jesus.  This isn't some attempt to hype up my own belief of Christ in me, but a revelation of how I truly see myself.  Some time ago I pondered the question of how the Lord Jesus saw me.  I had come to the realization that He was indeed in me, but I wanted to know how He saw me when He looked upon me.  It took some time, but I finally got my answer.  Jesus sees me in the same way that God sees me, as one of His precious children.  All that bunk about ethnicity, body composition and skin color is but stereotypes invented by man to describe others around them.  That is not what defines us.  

With Christ have I been crucified, yet I am living; no longer I, but living in me is Christ.  Now that which I am now living in the flesh, I am living in faith that is of the Son of God, Who loves me, and gives Himself up for me.

Galatians 2: 20, Concordant New Testament

A friend of mine brought up a very important point the other day.  There is no "I."  I do not exist.  Now, this might be a bit difficult for others to wrap their own understanding around, but when His revelation comes it is an eye opener.  For when we take away the individual, all we are left with is Christ.  And how is it that we can retain that individuality when all which we will ever have is from God?  It is God who created us in His image {Genesis 1:27}.  It is God who breathed into us His breath of life {Genesis 2:7}.  We live and exist, because of the love and grace of the Lord.  It is God who created MAN in His own image.  God did not go about separating His creation by race and skin color.  We ourselves have done just that.  When God looks upon you He sees you as you really are, His precious child.  So, the next time you think of the color wars and how they have torn apart the very fabric of our world, remember that this is something which we have done to ourselves.  Once we begin to see those around us as they truly are, all of that junk about ethnicity and being different falls by the wayside.  We do well to remember the words of the apostle Paul.  There is no Jew or Greek.  No male nor female.  No slave nor free.  There is only Christ.  

To whom God wills to make known what are the glorious riches of this secret among the nations, which is: Christ among you, the expectation of glory.

Colossians 1: 27, Concordant New Testament 

~Scott~