While reading Acts, Chapter ten, this morning, I was impressed with the way God handled the prejudice in the Apostle Peter, and Peter’s courage to take the unpopular route within the Jewish community. God wanted Peter to no longer think that the Gentiles were impure or unclean. But to know that God’s children are all one within the Body of Christ.

Throughout the New Testament, we are told to put aside prejudice and judging persons unworthy because of their gender, color or culture. The Old Testiment even had laws in place to protect the foreigners who resided in Jewish lands.

There is no place for bigotry and prejudice within the Kingdom of Christ, yet many still believe they are superior to anyone who does look or act like them. We are all sinners in need of Christ’s saving grace.

Even as a young white person growing up in the south, I saw the unfair treatment. My father share cropped part of his land with a hard-working black man name Charlie. Charlie grew up playing with my mother’s brothers. One hot summer day when he came to work with daddy in the fields, he brought his two young daughters. On my way the pick blackberries, I noticed them sitting in the hot sun at the end of the row. I asked if they wanted to help me pick the ripe fruit. Though a little shy they jumped up and followed me to the berry patch. I was about sixteen at the time and they looked to be about 10-13.

After we had filled my pail, I talked them into returning to the house with me while I prepared dinner. (Dinner was our noon meal; supper happened later in the evening and often consisted of left-overs from dinner.) When the meal was ready to go on the table and Daddy arrived, he seemed surprised that I had invited the girls to eat with us at the table. He later told me that the custom was for blacks to be fed out on the porch, but he was glad I didn’t ahere to the custom.

But my heart hurt when I asked the girls to play monoply with me. They couldn’t count well enough to enjoy the game. The black schools were unfunded and lacking in every possible way. Water fountains at the court house had signs declaring “white’s only.” There were separate bathrooms for blacks. Many families struggled to feed their families. Though I admired Charlie for taking care of his family, I’m sure he grieved the lack of education for his children.

But there was a Game Changer on the horizon by the name of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Dr. King preached his way across the south with a message born in the heart of God. He declared the Constitution of the United States to be truth despite its abuse. All men are created equal. Though championed among many, Dr. King was considered a trouble maker and law-breaker by others, even to the point of hatred which led to his death on April 4, 1968. But his dream continued as others took up the mantle to abolish prejudice, unfair treatment, and abuse throughout our land.

As a result of these brave men and women, public schools were integrated, blacks were no longer forced to the back of the bus or to give up their seat to a white person. The sign was stripped from the water fountains and the separate bathrooms were closed. I choose to believe that Charlie’s ancestors are now receiving a far better education.

Change is never easy. Inherited and taught prejudices do not go away overnight. Our country is still working to look beyond color, culture and creed to see the person created in God’s image. Even churches are seeing the need to integrate the different people groups. My friend, Timmie Edwards, said a few years ago. “We no longer have to go to other countries to spread the gospel. The mission field is down the street at Shopper’s Food Warehouse.”

And it’s so true. As we celebrate this warrior’s birthday in January and Black History month in February, may God help us to examine our own motives. Are we measuring our love for others by the love and character we find in Christ Jesus? Or, are we still clinging to old prejudices that prevent us from seeing others as God sees them? I don’t know about you, but I want to be a game changer like Dr. King — in my home, community and world.