My wife was out with our youngest son today, and stopped on her way home from worship with him to pick up some medicine. While at the store, she saw a man staring at her and my son - repeatedly. Suffice it to say, by the time they left the store and got in the car, the man was in his car and followed them. He pulled up next to them at a stoplight, rolled down his window, and started referring to my son as a "n" word.
Frankly, we expected that there would be racial tension because of our extended family; but until the label was spewed out of this man's mouth, we did not understand the full extent of a label.
We use labels all the time in our society: conservative, liberal, Democrat, Republican, left, right, racist, homophobic, right, wrong, selfish...and so on. While labels may identify us, they do so at the peril of dividing us. It is painful and speaks of our human condition. We spend too much time focused on our differences, rather than what brings us together. There is unity in diversity.
If I had to get out my labelmaker today, I would only type in and print one label: follower of Jesus Christ. No matter where we are in the church, where we fall on the spectrum of politics, religion, or any other issue, what brings us together is our common faith in Jesus Christ. The other labels don't matter. Jesus is stronger than any label...which reminds me - I need to pray for the guy who referred to my son by the "n" word...because he needs Jesus, just as much as I do!
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