Seeing the World in God's Colors

Galatians 3:28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.

When Hayleigh (11) first started drawing pictures of our family, I smiled when I noticed she used the "peach" crayon for her older sister and dad and the "brown" crayon for herself and me. She and I are indeed much more well-pigmented than many European Americans. Our heritage is English/Irish, yet she colored our skin how she saw it and not according to any "box" we might be in. As parents, we have carefully, intentionally raised our children to see similarities in people and not differences and to celebrate God's unique gifts given to each person. To this day, I proudly hang the self-portrait she did in early elementary that has blond hair and very brown skin. That picture means she learned to just see people, not categories of people.

Today I am reading John 8:28-59. The predominant theme is a back and forth discourse between Jesus and His listeners in which Jesus reveals His identity as God's Son. After to listening to Jesus for a bit, the audience dull as a knife last sharpened in the 19th century, asks Jesus, "Aren't we right in saying that you are a Samaritan and demon-possessed?" (Verse 48)

These were the worst two insults they could think of - Samaritan and demon-possessed. Jesus immediately responds to the charge of demon-possession but entirely ignores the comment about being a Samaritan (Verse 49). I believe this has less to do with his earthly heritage as a Jew and more to do with His heavenly heritage. To insinuate that one person is somehow less than another because of their God-given heritage is so not a part of who Jesus is that He won't even dignify the remark with a response. That kind of thinking should be equally repulsive to me.

What about me? Do I expect less or more of someone because of their nation of origin? Do I extend my trust freely regardless of someone's zip code? Do I express the same measure of love regardless of how well packaged a person may appear?

Today, Jesus, I will not be a barrier to others seeing you in me. I will set my expectations aside, extend my trust and express Your love. I will color my world with every crayon You've given.