In 1982, I had just turned 10-years-old and my family had recently moved from the small town of Norwalk, Ohio to the metropolis of Dallas, Texas. This was exciting for my three brothers and me on many levels, but I think the thing we were most excited about, other than Pac-Man and Donkey Kong was, MTV. We watched it religiously that summer. We couldn’t get enough! To this day, when I hear the song “I Ran” from the band “Flock of Seagulls” it takes me back to Texas. I think MTV played it every other video. Another popular song of the time was “Ebony and Ivory” by Paul McCartney and Stevie Wonder, a song that celebrates racial diversity by comparing blacks and whites to the keys on a piano keyboard. They live side by side in perfect harmony, so why can’t we do as they do?
This was interesting because I had made my first best friend that summer and he wasn’t white like me, he was black. And when school started back that fall, I was the only white kid in my class. A lot of things I didn’t understand then, but looking back on it today I realize my family lived in inner city, Dallas. We lived in an apartment complex that was inhabited with a diverse group of Latinos, Blacks and Whites and was so big that there were five swimming pools on the whole campus. None of this was made a big deal to us, because our parents didn’t make a big deal out of it. To them, there was no difference. My best friend came and spent the night with me and even shared my bed with me. We were little boys learning each other’s culture without even realizing it. He taught me who Michael Jackson and what Jet Magazine was and I taught him who Van Halen and Kiss were. He was accepted in our home and I was accepted in his. There was no problem. I’m thankful our parents never brought up any differences.
Thinking about my experience in Texas, and my childhood buddy today, has often made me think about Paul McCartney and Stevie Wonder’s hit. I have often wondered why rock and roll artists have lived the gospel out more than the church has in many cases. Someone once said that, “Sunday is the most segregated day in our culture.” Why is that? Have we not heard the gospel? The New Testament tells us over and over again that there is neither Jew nor Gentile in the kingdom of God, so why is there Black and White and segregation in the church today? We should be living the gospel out to each other and showing the world what unity in Christ looks like. It looks like the black and white keys on a piano that sit side by side and are in perfect harmony with each other. You could not play piano without them both. All humans are precious and are created in the image of God and are therefore valuable and loved by God. At the foot of the cross we are all the same, sinners in need of a Savior to save us and forgive us of our sins. Once we surrender our lives to Him, Jesus brings us together into His community called, the church.
When we think about all that’s going on in culture today let us, brothers and sisters in Christ, seek to be bridge builders in our communities by coming together for prayer and worship. Let’s be the alternative community to the community at large. Let’s be the example of Christ to each other by loving one another and praying for one another; even loving our enemies and praying and doing good to them. Then Christ will be glorified in our unity. Amen.
Todd