One of my most precious possessions is my Hank Aaron baseball card from the 1950s. When I was a kid, he was one of my heroes. I found out much later as I got older that his life as a Brave was often very difficult. When he would travel, the team, most of which were white, would stay in a regular hotel, but the colored players had to stay in a colored hotel. Hank had some painful stories to tell.
Even though the civil rights movement brought about legal equality, racism still exists. Laws can punish racist behaviors, but laws can’t change people’s hearts. Only the gospel can. The gospel of Jesus changes your heart and the way you think. It changes the way you feel. It takes away your fear that somebody who is different from you is going to hurt you. It helps you see the world through God’s eyes.
What do God’s eyes see? “There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus” (Galatians 3:28). God loves us all—in fact, he created diversity to make your life richer. Diversity gives you the opportunity to reach out to those who aren’t a part of your tribe. To serve others who aren’t like you. To join together as unique individuals who are loved by God to share a common purpose—spreading his Word.
Look around you. See someone different? Go say hi.
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