Celebrating Others Leads to Healing Between Races

Imagine with me for a moment a world where outside appearance had no bearing on how we treated each other. Could such a society even exist?

Take a moment and imagine.

We cannot ignore what another person’s outsides look like. The color of our skin, the type of clothes we wear, and even how we smile can reflect our culture and our heritage. These differences are what make up the beautiful mosaic of the human experience. If we all looked the same, we would be losing something. It is these differences that display the full majesty of our Creator. Through diversity we see the rich palette of what is possible in the world. 

It is not the differences in us that create the problem. It is the belief that one group is better than another that creates our collective pain. It is in the judging and elevating of skin type, clothing choice, hair style, and religious choices that cause our divisions. 

We have elevated certain types of people out of a sense of fear. We are afraid that if we don’t protect a certain class, then another group that we consider to be a threat to our way of life will take over. This fear is based in a loss of consciousness. It is the forgetting of how profoundly beautiful and important we all are. It is the forgetting that our Creator sees all of us as beautiful and precious.  

How can we learn to treat each other with the respect we all deserve? How can we do this without insisting that everyone become like the other? 

I propose that the healing of our race relations begins with declaring that every race deserves respect. It is about acknowledging our differences and learning to not only accept them, but to celebrate them. It is in the celebration of diversity that we begin to be healed. When every race from every nation is honored, we become one. Truth is that we have always been one.  The choice to celebrate these differences becomes the catalyst for change.  

Therefore, healing goes far beyond acceptance. Healing is in the celebration of being different.  The celebration makes room in our heart to take in the beauty in other people. When we celebrate each other, we will be celebrating the rich beauty of our Creator. 

I pray for a time when celebrating each other becomes the norm. We have a long way to go. But, the healing of humanity can happen. There is hope that we can all wake up to the magnificence of those who look different than we do. 

Maybe someday we will throw a big party for the human family where everyone is invited. We can hold that vision. I certainly am.