A Godly Man Shows Love to Diverse People
Written by Brian Jennings, Posted in Your World
The following is 1 of the Thirteen Essential Traits of a Godly Man we communicated to our son, Cole, when he recently entered his teenage years. I continue to try to emulate and teach these to him. All men would do well to pursue them with all they have.
We also put together a book from these writings titled Journey to Manhood. You can download the entire book if you click here.
A Godly Man Shows Love to Diverse People (by Steven Chapman)
A lot has been reported recently about racial and ethnic differences, shootings of black young men by the police, and walls to keep out Mexicans and other Latinos seeking an escape from poverty. These two issues are huge today, but in many ways point us to the need for people who respect and love others who are different.
It seems that it may get more difficult for a Godly man to love and respect others when so many are playing on our differences.
Jesus told a story about loving a diverse group of people. In that story, the one who was different was the hero. The dramatic turn in the story, making the Samaritan the hero, would have been a jaw dropping development for those who heard his story. In fact, many were enraged anytime Jesus welcomed “outsiders” into God’s Kingdom.
I’ve loved this story for years. However, in some ways it was just a theory for me until I came to understand just how white I was. It’s not a bad thing that I’m white. It just means that I came hardwired with a certain perspective of the world because of my skin color, experience and background.
What is needed to love those who are different is getting close to them. You can’t love those who are different, from a distance. You need to get close enough to hear their stories.
As I learned how white I was, I was freed to appreciate and respect the difference between myself and others. I no longer needed to pressure them to conform to my cultural standards. I was better able to take a look at things through their eyes, to understand their journey, and most of all, love them for who they are.
I have a dream, extending on the dream of Martin Luther King, Jr. I dream that black kids and white kids, brown, yellow and red kids will be judged not by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character. And I dream that the Godly men like you will lead the way.
I love the picture of the Lamb’s Kingdom in Revelation 7:4 … a crowd composed of “every tribe, and language, and people group, and nationality.” That is an image worthy of the pursuits of a Godly man.
Related Posts: A Godly Man Prays, A Godly Man Does His Best
Hi Brian. I spend a lot of time helping kids in the Philippines stay in school. Because of the poverty there, that’s a real problem. With that level of systemic poverty comes the type of desperation that attracts the human traffickers and their ‘clients’. Much as you alluded to in your post, I’m about as white as one can get, plus I’m 6’3. In the Philippines where most are lucky to be taller than 5′, I truly stick out from the crowd. Even after I’ve been there a months and my tan approaches the level of brownness around me, I can still be picked out of the crowd.
For the most part, this doesn’t bother me. At the churches I work at, we all know who each other is. There’s no reason to attempt being something that we’re not. True, I’d like to be a little browner, and they wish they weren’t as brown as they are. But no one really cares about that.
My real dilemma is when I’m traveling to Cebu. The plane is full of guys who look very much like me. In that setting, I’m just one of the many. But what bothers me is the purpose for which we travel. I go because I’m providing kids with the tools they need to stay in school and to share the love of Jesus. Probably half of the guys are there for a legitimate holiday or to meet a friend or two. The other half, however belong to that group of ‘clients’ I mentioned earlier. That’s a group that I really don’t want to be associated with. In fact, my goal is to shelter kids from that very type of individual.
So as I stand at the immigration kiosk and the agent flips through my well-documented passport, I wonder what he or she thinks of me. Do I look like one of the good guys? Or am I being shuffled into the deck of undesirables?
I don’t really get concerned about it, but it puts things in a different perspective. It shows me exactly why I need to be at my best, even when I’m tired from the exhausting travel. I too yearn for a day when I can meet with my friends on the other side of the world and never be concerned about our differences or similarities. Why can’t we just be who we are?
Thank you for your article. Your message is appreciated. God bless.
Wow, Scott. Thanks so much for your words. Keep up your difficult but worthwhile work! Blessings.