I Corinthians 12:13 For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free—and have all been made to drink into one Spirit.
My grandpa, Norman Tibbetts, was a wonderful human being. He was English and Native American. He had white skin. Growing up in Aroostook County, Maine – during the depression – I don’t think grandpa had many colored friends (if any at all). None-the-less, grandpa believed in freedom and equality for every American regardless of color or social status. Grandpa fought in World War II and he used to tell me that he fought for every man, woman and child in America, not just whites. My father was Creole and had dark skin. I am pretty sure he was the first colored man my grandpa and gramma ever shared a meal with. My mother was nervous that day, she told me. My grandpa and my dad liked each other from the start. They had a mutual respect for one another. You see, neither of them cared about color; it was the character of a person that mattered. Those were the values my family grew up with and they passed those values down to us kids. My grandparents loved me from the day I was born and they never treated me any different because of my color. My family is diverse and I thank the Lord for that. I have been stereotyped before – by colored people and whites alike. It makes me very sad and it hurts deeply.
During my trial, I was labeled as an African American thug from some ghetto. That hurt a lot and it was hard to sit there and be belittled because of my color. I grew up on Cape Cod. The Cape is a beautiful place – very diverse. For the most part, we all get along. It is exactly the kind of place you would expect to produce a man like John F. Kennedy. My grandpa came from Maine – born and raised – 4th generation on his father’s side. My grandpa was a very kind and loving man. I was stunned when the court allowed me to be tried based on my race. My lawyer (who I later found out had a relationship with one of the victims) never objected – not once – to any of the racial comments made. Why does it matter what color I am or what color people are where my mother lives? What did that have to do with the trial? I couldn’t believe that this was happening in America in 2014. Not even the judge stopped it. It continued throughout my trial from beginning to end and it hurt deeply. When I complained to my lawyer, he sent me a letter saying there was nothing wrong with it. Sure, he got on TV and said it was wrong – because I begged him to – but in his letter, he denied it was wrong or that he should have objected. Soon after, I found out he had a working relationship with one of the victims. Between that and his suspect actions during my trial and his indifference to the race issue, I fired him.
All of this made me re-evaluate my own feelings about race. You see, I am currently studying and working toward a PhD in Theology through a correspondence course – which has been arranged and sponsored by the combined effort of three separate ministries. My goal is to become a minister. The truth is, you don’t need a PhD to be a minister, but it is good to have a thorough knowledge of the Bible. It is that knowledge I am striving for, not the degree. That is just a by-product of my learning experience. The Lord has given me a desire to learn about not only the Bible, but different cultures and religions; for in so-doing, I become better equipped to bring the gift of salvation to as many as I can in this world.
I am currently reading a book about Muslims. There is so much I did not know about them. All we ever hear about is the extremist on the news. I am told that they are the minority in the Muslim world. Christianity is not without extremism; of course, we who are truly in the body of Christ do not consider such extremists to be true Christians. None-the-less, there are those who preach hate and claim Christ as their Savior – the KKK, for example. Sometimes, the rest of us are judged by the acts of a few misguided souls. My Lord has taught me through His Word and grace that all human beings are eligible for salvation, regardless of their current or past deeds and beliefs. It is my duty as a Christian to spread the truth and gospel of Jesus Christ to all men, women and children. It is not my place to judge or stereotype them. I will not hate them if they do not choose Christ. Rather, I will love and pray for them. God gave us all the right to choose what we desire. We are only human; we are not God. Who are we to judge? You see, judging people and stereotyping them turns them off to Christ. It gives them a reason not to accept Jesus as Lord and Savior. We are His representatives. The next time you look down on someone, ask yourself one question: What would Jesus do???
For further study, read 1st Corinthians 12:12-31.
May God bless and keep you. God bless the troops!
Love in Christ,
Randall