One same blood !

Sunday January 16, 2022

One same blood !

Romans 15:7 – Welcome one another, as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God.

There is an attitude that we find in Christian circles that has always frustrated us : it is racism. Let us think again, this racism does not only poison the relations of whites with people of color but, the same phenomenon goes in the other direction. Of course it affects other ethnicities but this is the one we want to talk about ! One day, we were in an African community as a simple visitor : we would have been invisible or transparent, the result would have been the same, we were completely ignored.

I'll tell you a little anecdote. I was very young and very zealous for evangelism. Every week I visited a home for juvenile delinquents to bring the Good News. One day, the night was already well advanced and I was driving home alone. I said to myself : “If there is a hitchhiker, I will take him !". Arrived at a roundabout, there was indeed a hitchhiker. I noticed that he was from the Maghreb and I was going to continue on my way. The Lord said to me : “Are you racist Claudy ?". Since I didn't want to admit that I was racist, I stopped. In fact, the hitchhiker was not alone but he was accompanied by two others. He politely asked me if the others could come too. There was room in the car, hard to refuse. My heart was in my throat and it was doing 200 per minute at least. I pleaded in my heart : “What am I doing Lord ?". He replied : “Do what you have been doing all evening, announces the Good News”. In the end, “my” hitchhikers could not escape and they listened to me with great respect.

Racism has its source in the fear of the other and is based on a lot of prejudices, clichés, an obvious lack of love and so on. As children of God shouldn't we be free from this fear ? Shouldn't we love each other without ulterior motives ? If not, what are we going to do in eternity ? There are no ghettos in heaven, no separatism, apartheid, "stay in your corner".

Beloved brothers and sisters of color, Corinne and I refuse racism. You and we have the same blood running through our veins, we have the same Father, the same Lord. Why would we let our differences, our customs, our collective memory... take over the love of God that is poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit ?

Good reflection

Source (Ezekiel 37 Ministries) https://ez37m.com