The Color of Love

In recent years we have all seen or read about the
horrors that can result when animosity escalates between people of
divergent backgrounds. "Ethnic cleansing" in the former Yugoslavia,
human butchery in Rwanda, continued bloodletting in the Mideast, and
strained race relations in scores of other countries all attest to the
fact that something is dreadfully wrong with the human condition.

WHAT IF A DECREE WAS MADE that all people of every
country, color and creed were to respect and accept everyone else,
regardless of their differences? Unfortunately, even if someone had the
authority to issue such a mandate, it would never work. Simply put,
righteousness cannot be legislated. Kindness, understanding and love
must come from the heart, not as a dutiful response to a law.

To suddenly accept and respect someone, when you've been
taught since childhood that your particular color, creed or culture are
better than theirs, is no small task. It would be even more difficult
to instantly accept someone you resent because you know that their
people have caused yours years (or perhaps centuries) of suffering,
humiliation, abuse, exploitation or persecution.

When a person has been bereaved, lost their house or
land, or in some other way been the brunt of violence or cruelty
perpetrated by another ethnic group, no edict is going to change the
victim's attitudes overnight. Even if they wanted to love and accept
others, old habits die hard, and no amount of willpower can instantly
overcome deep-seated resentment or hatred.

SO HOW CAN PREJUDICE, fear and distrust be overcome when
these things have been ingrained for centuries? The answer is summed up
in one simple word: love!

King Solomon of old, reputedly the wisest mortal to ever
walk the earth, wrote, "Hatred stirs up strife, but love covers all
sins" (Proverbs 10:12). If you hate somebody, your interactions with
them are likely to breed disagreement and conflict. But if you love
them, even if they have wronged you, it's possible to look beyond their
faults and accept and forgive them.

This may sound like a noble aspiration—to overlook and
forgive all the flaws and failings of others—but realistically, who is
capable of suddenly releasing resentment, hatred, fear or other
deep-seated negative attitudes they may harbor towards individuals or
entire groups of people? Most of us lack the resolve and emotional
wherewithal to do that.

THE GOOD NEWS IS that despite our limited human
resources, it is still possible for us to truly love, understand and
accept others, regardless of their past or background. The key to such
love comes from the ultimate source of love, God Himself. The Bible
tells us that "God is love" (1 John 4:8). He is the all-powerful Spirit
of love who created the universe and brought us all into being.

To show us what He is like, He came down to our level by
sending His own Son to earth in the form of a man, Jesus Christ. Jesus'
entire ministry was one of love. He experienced human suffering, and
had great compassion on the people as He ministered to their spiritual
and physical needs. He became one of us.

He taught that we could fulfill all the laws of God by
keeping just one great commandment: to love. Jesus said, "You shall
love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and
with all your mind," and "you shall love your neighbor as yourself."
(See Matthew 22:37-40.)

On one occasion, a self-righteous expert in religion
overheard Jesus teaching this, and publicly challenged Him by asking,
"Who then is my neighbor?" Jesus responded with the story of the Good
Samaritan, in which He clearly showed that our neighbor is anyone who
needs our help, regardless of their race, creed, color, nationality or
cultural background. (See Luke 10:25-37.)

THE WAY WE CAN love our neighbors and do our part to
bring peace to the world is to give our own hearts to the "Prince of
Peace," and ask Him to give us the love we need for others. When we are
connected with the God of love, His Spirit within us can empower us to
do what is otherwise humanly impossible: to truly love others the way
we love ourselves.

The Bible says of Jesus, "He Himself is our peace, who
has made both [different races] one, and has broken down the middle
wall of separation" (Ephesians 2:14). The supernatural love of God is
what brings genuine peace, unity and mutual respect between us.

"Man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks
on the heart" (1 Samuel 16:7). And when we are in tune with God, we too
can look past the color of someone's skin to see their heart and
spirit. We can then view each person as the beautiful and unique
creation of God that they are.

EVEN WHEN FEAR, PREJUDICE AND HATRED have been ingrained
for years, the wonderful love of God can wash it all away! Once you
personally know that God loves and forgives you, it becomes much easier
to love and forgive others. You can then "get rid of all bitterness,
rage and anger, along with every form of malice, and be kind and
compassionate to one another, forgiving each another, just as in
Christ, God forgave you" (Ephesians 4:31-32, NIV).

When you open your heart to Jesus, He can miraculously
free you from the bondage of hatred and ill will toward others. "If
anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things are passed away;
behold, all things are become new" (2 Corinthians 5:17).

What a wonderful world it could be if we were all
color_blind and race_unconscious, where the only thing we saw when we
looked on a person of another ethnic background was love—the color of
love! It's possible, in Jesus, where "there is neither Jew nor Gentile,
there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for
you all are one in Christ Jesus" (Galatians 3:28).

DO YOU WANT SUCH LOVE for others? It's yours for the
asking!—"For God is love" (1 John 4:8) He loves you so much that He
sent Jesus to give His life for you. "For God so loved the world [you
and me], that He gave His only begotten Son [Jesus], that whoever
believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life" (John
3:16).

Jesus will freely forgive you of all your sins and give
you eternal life if you will simply ask Him to come into your heart.
Receive Him now by sincerely praying a prayer like the following:

+ + +

THE BIBLE TELLS US that the day is soon coming when
Jesus will personally return "in great power and glory" to establish
the Kingdom of God on earth. The exploitive and exclusive regimes of
man will be no more when "the kingdoms of this world have become the
kingdoms of our Lord" (Revelation 11:15).

All ethnic boundaries will be swept away then, and the
peace-loving people of the world will unite in true harmony. "All
people, nations and languages shall serve the Lord in an everlasting
dominion. … And nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither
shall they learn war any more." (See Daniel 7:14; Isaiah 2:4.)

But why wait till then, when you can have God's heavenly
peace and love in your heart and life right now? Receive Jesus today,
and do what you can to share His love with others.

We would be happy to send you more information and beautiful color
posters on a variety of fascinating subjects. Please contact us at: