The Color of Love

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

I heard a story recently about a South African bird, the sociable weaver, that welcomes birds of other species and colors to nest with it. The weavers and the other birds all fly, sing, and hatch their young together. Their differing feathers' hues only add to the beauty of their group, much like an array of mixed spring flowers creates a breathtaking sight. A field of flowers of only one type or color, although beautiful, cannot match the variegated mixture's stunning display.

Some friends of ours are a lot like these multi-colored birds. He is white, she is black, and their son says he is "brown." Unfortunately, the three of them have experienced the pain of being treated unfairly based solely on their variation in color. Others attempt to pigeonhole them because of prejudices born out of ignorance.

In the scripture from Galatians, Paul teaches us that we are all one in Christ Jesus. As a child I often sang "Jesus Loves the Little Children." Part of the song's lyrics say, "Red and yellow, black and white, they are precious in his sight" - and yes, brown too. God created our many variations; no two of us are alike, and each of us is precious to God.

by Jo Rae Johnson (South Carolina, USA)

God's Beauty

Read Psalm 27

One thing I ask of the Lord, this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord.
-Psalm 27:4 (NIV)

ON the wall of my friend's house hangs a painting of a ruddy-faced, ragged-clothed hobo. The hobo sits in the midst of rubbish, cans and bottles strewn everywhere. His face displays the hint of a smile in an otherwise sad demeanor. Among the shadows and grays, a snow-white flower cupped ever so gently in the hobo's hand draws the eye to the center of the painting. The hobo's tenderness protects the fragile beauty amid the devastation.

In the 20 years I have spent in prison amid the ruins of countless lives, that painting has often reminded me that God's beauty can never be diminished, no matter how large the dump. I need only to look at an old man sitting on his bunk reading the Bible, or to hear the laughter of a young man talking on the phone to his family. Beauty is everywhere, but we must put on the lens of love to truly appreciate it.

We can learn to look for God's beauty in ordinary settings. We can see God in the smile of a stranger or hear God in the song of a single sparrow. To do so is to learn to live in God's presence daily.

by Richard A. Ryan (Florida, USA)