I saw the movie “The Help” last week and oh. my. goodness. I loved it. I laughed. I cried. A lot. There is so much swirling around in this little head right now that I want to get it out while it’s still fresh. I already feel like I have lost some of it since last Thursday. {Have you noticed? More kids=less brain cells!}
God really put several things on my heart today concerning the word “Help.” Some are tied into the movie, others not as much. Get ready for a soapbox people! I’ll share one train of thought today and more as I process everything.
The first thing I noticed is that America needs help! I am sure that this is nothing new to most of you, but this is what I was thinking during the whole movie- “God help us- that we look down on other countries for various reasons when just 50 years ago- we as a nation treated another race with such inhumanity.” I realize that the difference in the 1950s and 1850s was HUGE- America had come a long way in terms of racial problems, but still, the way the black people were treated by most of the white people* (according to this movie) is despicable. It is skin, our outer shell! I would much, much rather have black skin that a black heart, wouldn’t you?
Can I be honest here? The idea that God would {will} turn a blind eye to our country’s mistreatment of people that HE created- simply because we are called “America” is oh-so-wrong. I know lots of people compare America to Israel as God’s chosen people. I won’t even go into debate on that {it’s simply not in the Bible}-but I will say that if that were true- God certainly did not hesitate to punish Israel for their wrongdoings. Why then, should he hesitate to punish us for ours? If we truly believe the Bible- then we will do our best to love everyone- even when they look completely different from us.
What was so ironic in the movie {mild spoiler alert here} was the fact that the women were raising money to send to Africa for starving children while they treated the black people in their lives shamefully. Sadly, it is the year 2011 and I still see this in some churches. I wasn’t living in the 50s and I certainly don’t understand everything that went on. But I do live now and while things certainly seem to be better- I still see prejudices around me. It is so sad!
Some of the most wonderful, loving people God has brought into my life the last few years have been of every skin tone. My friend Yessica is Hispanic. My friend Dee is Nepalese. My friend Tanisha is African-American. Carmelle is American-Born-Chinese. These are all wonderful women that God has brought to me in this season to love on and, for them to love on me! If wanted only white friends, I could potentially be a pretty lonely lady in this multi-cultural city!
I love that my kids also have friends of every color. I love that they don’t even really see color when it comes to people. I love that they say they want a black baby next.
Ladies, (and the few men that read my blog- hi honey!) here is a challenge for the week-{if you don’t already do this}- no matter your skin color, try to spend some time with a person of another ethnicity or from another culture. I really think you will be pleasantly surprised! I know that my life is so, so much richer with the love of every one in it.
And while you’re at it, read the book! 😉
*Small disclaimer: I do understand that not every white person acted this way. It just seems that it was pretty common. I also understand that people of all races and from all countries do good things, and that people of all races and from all countries do terrible things. The message I want to get across is to love all people as we are commanded in the Bible- no matter their place of origin!
About Kelli Hays
Kelli, you could write on this everyday and still not exhaust the need for love among all people. I remember when we were in Guatemala. For many of us there was a language barrier, but I so remember one little Guatemalan girl who used sign language to tell me she loved me…..and so how my heart was warmed by her gesture of love. To this day I still say that our trip to Guatemala was more about God using my brothers and sisters from another country to bless me, then it was about any small thing I did for them. I remember being so sick in bed one day, and a little 4 year old boy trudged up the 3 flights of stairs to bring me a cookie because he knew I hadn’t eaten. I remember being welcomed into a church service where I didn’t understand one word of what was being said or sung, but I do remember that I had never so felt the presence of God as much as I felt Him in that church, that day surrounded by people different from me, but ALL God’s children.
When I truly understood the grace of God, I could forgive not only others but also myself. When I truly understood the grace of God, I understood that God sees all sin as sin, and that I wasn’t any worse or better than anyone else. When I truly understood the grace of God, I understood that the grace God bestowed on me I also had to allow him to bestow on others. When I truly understood the grace of God, I realized that because of the grace God bestows on me, and the grace He bestows on others, I in turn had to also bestow on every person whom God allowed to enter my life, whether through actually coming into contact with, or just through thought.
When I truly understood the grace of God, there was no reason not to love!