BY: MEGAN GILMORE
Y’all I have been sitting here looking at this blank page - thousands of thoughts and words flowing in my mind however, none are landing on this page. As I sat looking at the page a song started to play in my mind and it quickly became the only thing I could hear. I learned this song when I was just starting to talk and now It has been playing in my mind to the point it has brought tears to my eyes. It has been part of my life and a part of my thinking for as long as I can remember. Maybe you have heard it too…
“Jesus loves the little children. All the children of the world. Red, brown, yellow, black, and white - they are precious in His sight. Jesus loves the little children of the world.”
I continued to sit and let this song play in my mind...we are all precious in Jesus’ sight. I let the lyrics play over and over because words fail me...which is rare. I usually am able to clearly articulate my thoughts, feelings, God’s truth, but today...today my words are slow to come. I have feared in the past to speak up because I never wanted to say the wrong thing. However, today, as I sat looking at this page I knew that I needed to speak up. I need to get my words out there - not saying anything would be worse.
My heart is heavy for this world. The topic of racism and Black Lives Matter is one that is close to my heart - I just have not spoken up to those outside my circle until now. The past few days I have done nothing but I think about all the people in my life that do not look like me because they were born with a little more melanin than me. I think about each one and picture their face - I am filled with such love! My best friend, family friends, my godson, the students I taught, and so many more.
I love people! For me...it is about a person's soul not their outward appearance. I have been told at times I am extremely caring...maybe too caring. I care deeply for people. The color of a person’s skin has never kept me from loving them. I look at others and I see the beauty that God created. Genesis 1:26-27 is so clear to me that we are all made in God’s image, “Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.” We are all made in God’s image and that truth alone is why I choose to love people.
Love is a choice - love is an action. When we look at 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 we see, “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.” Each one of those fruits of love is an action. We need to be loving all with the fullness of God because God is love. We need to stand up and love others in action. Just like that song says...Jesus loves every single person regardless of their color. That is how I choose to live my life to love and be a reflection of Jesus.
I listened intently as my pastor preached about a third option with racial division - it is not an us versus them it is about God and being united as brothers and sisters. I will never fully understand the challenges of being an African-American. I will never fully understand the challenges of my skin being a defining factor that causes people to make assumptions about me. I cannot fully understand their pain, but I can use my voice to stand with you. I can use my voice to speak up for the injustice that is around. I can love - just like God has called us to because we are all made in His image.
My final words are this - to my beautiful melanin friends...my family. I am sorry for the pain that you carry. I know my words cannot fix what is wrong with this world, but I am standing with you. I am praying for healing and wholeness to come. God sees you and is feeling your pain with you. You are beautiful, you are loved, highly cherished, and just like the song says...you are precious in His sight.