People of Color
February is Black History month. I am much aware and very thankful for the Black people who have contributed decidedly to making this a good country. I have expressed that thankfulness in previous columns but let me do so again.
Most are familiar with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Frederick Douglass, George Washington Carver, and Rosa Parks. These Black heroes are well known; but there are others.
On February 1, 2003, the American Ambassador to Oman delivered a speech in which he listed many little known outstanding Black persons in American history. Phoebe Frances exposed a plot to assassinate President George Washington. Benjamin Banneker was the first American to construct a clock that struck on the hour. Elijah McCoy invented a lubricant that was so good everyone wanted his product; they called it “the real McCoy,” a phrase still used for authenticity. All these people were Black.
There are many people of color in Biblical history. The Queen of Sheba, who visited King Solomon and marveled at his wisdom, was the Black Queen of Ethiopia. Zipporah, the Cushite wife of Moses, was Black. Ebedmelech, the Ethiopian eunuch who saved the life of Jeremiah, was Black. The Ethiopian eunuch whom Philip met in the book of Acts was Black. Hagar, Sarah’s Egyptian handmaiden by whom Abraham’s son Ishmael was born, was Black. Asenath, the Egyptian wife of Joseph, was Black. Simon of Cyrene, who helped Jesus carry the cross, was Black. By today’s standards, even Jesus might be considered a person of color. Apparently, skin color was not a cultural barrier in the Bible. I pray that it will not be a barrier for us.
As you surely know, our country is in the midst of an immigration crisis. People want/need to live here. We should not respond in anger. We should see it as an honor. Would you want to live in a country where no one wanted to be and everyone wanted to leave? Immigrants populated the United States of America. Check your ancestry. One cannot go back many generations before learning most of our ancestors came from somewhere else.
Think about it. Pray about it.
