The only race that matters

Read the Rev. Carey Ingram’s column, and check out what’s coming up in the church calendar.

As we celebrate Black History Month, I was reminded why it is important that we observe it. A friend of mine who happens to be white asked me, “Why do you think that the most segregated place in America remains the church?” We continued the dialogue and concluded that unfortunately blacks and whites have a different theology of God because of their background. I am very happy to be part of a group of churches from different races and denominations who assemble weekly to pray that God will unite the Rome community.

I am also a part of a group of pastors from all backgrounds who meet monthly just to fellowship and to encourage one another. Then, there is the group called One Community United whose efforts are simply to unite people across religious and racial lines.

I thank God for the efforts and changes blacks and whites made together during the Civil Rights Era. I am a product of those changes. It causes me to wonder why any race of people would think or believe that they are better than any other.

Be mindful of what the Bible speaks of God in the very beginning, “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.” Genesis 1:27

Could the problem be how people interpret the word of God and how they see the people in the Bible? Could it be that some people think that everything in the Bible is centered on their race? Is this where the idea of race superiority comes from?

The real question is would it make a difference to you if Abraham, Noah, Moses, Solomon, or Jesus Christ were dark skinned in color? Remember, Hebrews are a nation, not necessarily a particular color. Be mindful that all civilization began on the continent of Africa. Egypt and Israel are located side by side. Growing up, I was taught to be proud of my race and to respect people who were different from me. Therefore, I am comfortable no matter the color of a person’s skin, then or now.

We who are Christians must be willing to start a dialogue about these things. We must be willing to ask the hard questions. We must learn to agree or disagree and still have love one for another.

There is still much evil in the world — including our community — with racism, poverty, killings and other criminal activities. However, I still believe Rome is on the right path to bring changes that not only will bless our area, but also begin to help us set an example for our state and nation. There is a saying, “If not us, then who; if not here, then where; if not now, then when?” The truth is that only one race matters. We call it the human race.

The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. once stated, “We must learn to live together as brothers, or we will surely perish together as fools.”

Let us choose to live together under the Christian banner of love.