How Jesus Helped Me See Discrimination

Diversity HandsI am Caucasian.

Growing up Caucasian, I never experienced discrimination because of my race.

I was raised in a fairly conservative home, politically speaking, and by the time I was starting law school I believed race discrimination was a thing of the past in America.

By the end of my first year of law school I had joined the most diverse church I had ever known and made a lot of friends in the church who were not Caucasian.

The year was 1988, an election year, and because Jesse Jackson ran for president, race was part of the discussion during the election.

One evening I was hanging out with one the girls from our church. She was black. She loved Jesus. We were friends. So, I asked her if she thought racism was still a problem in the United States. Without hesitation she said, “Of course is it.” I was surprised at her answer. She was surprised at my question. But you know what? I believed her.

I believed her because I knew her views were not politically motivated, she loved Jesus, and she was in a better position to know than me.

After that I began to see discrimination, and ironically, I became a civil rights lawyer. I not only see racial discrimination, but I’m an advocate in the courtroom against it. And it’s all because Jesus, working through His Church, helped me to see something my own limited experience would not permit me to see.

Martin Luther King, Jr. helped a lot of people to see as well, and I’m convinced Jesus called him to do just that. So, when you celebrate MLK day tomorrow don’t just think of MLK, but thank Jesus for using His Church to help us all see a little clearer. GS

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