Black

Black has always been associated with bad things, evil things. When something has the word BLACK attached to it, the idea expressed is usually one of something unpleasant or illegal e.g. black market, black-mail, black-out and so on. Being of dark complexion has also been something to be laughed at and even made fun of. Being of light-coloured skin is the measure of beauty whereas dark skinned people are usually loved for what they are good at rather than for what they look like.

I have been black for as long as I can remember and this has presented me with the unpleasant situation of being made fun of for a great part of my life. Sure, I can laugh off some jokes made about me these days without feeling like a lesser human being. However, there are those times when I was growing up that some comments were thrown in my face and wounded me deeply. I wouldn’t have thought being dark would be something bad unless someone made a joke out of it and made me feel small.

My situation is limited to my colour and height, because I am short. There are those with other ‘physical setbacks’. There is absolutely nothing wrong with these people, but we make them feel uncomfortable around us because they aren’t sure we will carry out an entire conversation without some snide remark being carelessly tossed about. Some fat, pimple-faced, stammering kid will have a torrid time this holiday because of his ‘friends’ and the same kid will shudder when he thinks of school because he knows that more of the same awaits him when schools reopen.

Take some time to sieve through your words during your conversations this week. There is a lot of power in words and we would be well advised to handle that power well. If you knew that your command would put fear into demons and spur angels to action, what kind of command would you issue? We should handle this power carefully, using it for exhortation, encouragement and rebuke where necessary, but never for coarse jesting. Our speech should be seasoned with salt, and our words should be as the very words of God. Food for thought.