Wednesday, December 18, 2002
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Wednesday, December 18, 2002 |
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The true 'colors' of Christmas ... By JOHN HATCHER Our church just completed its annual presentation of some sort of special Christmas play. For the last two years we have presented renditions of A Cricket County Christmas. It's about two sets of cousins city and country who interact with one another and in all their cultural mix-ups, they experience the true meaning of the Christmas Story. With a bunch of laugh lines, the play reaches its climax when Glenda Mae, obviously one of the country cousins, tells the story of the birth of the Savior. With country dialect, she powerfully and touchingly draws the picture of the travelers, the full inns, the stable out back, the star in the sky, and the birth of the Savior with a feeding trough for a cradle. Tears came to tender hearts as the lowly story was told by a lowly country gal. The play not only was about him who came to break down walls dividing Jew and Gentile, Black and White, but the play itself was a picture of the incarnation of such. Take a close look at Brenda Mae and Glenda Mae. Sisters in the play, in real life they are a white woman and a black woman. For someone unused to such things, they may have asked the question, "How so? How can a totally black woman be a sister with a white woman?" Some may look at the play's many scenes and ask, "How could that be in real life?" But, hold on to your seats, for us folks at River's Edge, "it don't make no difference." We don't see black and white; we see Pam and Karen. And as I understand the Bible, God sees it that way. The Bible says, "God does not see as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart"(1 Samuel 16:7). When will we cease and desist judging people on the color of their skin rather than the content of their heart? When will all our play-acting about a Savior born for all people come to a reality not only in society, but also in our hearts, homes, and churches? Some, over the years, may have tired from a familiar carol coming from this column; but, if we are ever to get a victory in race relations in this country, we all must come together at the level land of the cross of Jesus Christ. Not just talk about coming together at the level land of the cross, but actually doing it. What we have discovered at River's Edge is that once you get to know people whether they are black, white, red, or yellow you begin to go beyond their skin pigmentation to their true personalities and values. As we celebrate the birth of the Savior for all people, let us begin to do something about the color of our churches. I contend our Savior would be embarrassed for his bride to be found "all dressed in white" or for that matter, "all dressed in Black." Merry Christmas. But, let us get real with what the birth of Jesus was all about. The Rev.
Dr. John Hatcher is pastor of |
