"... Trust the soul of a man, rather than the look of him." (from the movie, "Remember the Titans")

I grew up in California, and I was completely unaware of any differences between the races. The color of one's skin didn't matter. It wasn't until I visited some cousins in Illinois that I became aware that some held prejudice and hatred in their hearts for those whose skin was a different color from theirs. It was quite a shock for a young boy to find that his relatives hated others because of their skin color. It was to be quite a few years before I experienced an even greater shock.

When I was 26 years old, I obeyed the Gospel. A couple of years later, I decided to preach. For eight years, I labored with two congregations in California. Then I decided to seek another work. One congregation, located in Alabama, was seeking a preacher. I called the posted number, and was soon speaking with one of the elders. Toward the end of our conversation, he said, "there is one more thing that you should know. There are some here who hate blacks." I was shocked. I simply could not believe what this elder was saying: that some Christians hated others because their skin was a different color. I had held the sincere (naive?) belief that all Christians looked past the color of a man's skin, and focused instead on his life--and his "soul."

Prejudice and hatred are not new. Consider the words of the Samaritan woman whom Jesus met. "There cometh a woman of Samaria to draw water: Jesus saith unto her, give Me to drink. ... Then saith the woman of Samaria unto Him, how is it that thou, being a Jew, askest drink of me, which am a woman of Samaria? For the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans." Jesus responded to her. "Jesus answered and said unto her, if thou knewest the gift of God, and Who it is that saith to thee, give Me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of Him, and He would have given thee Living Water." (John 4:7,9-10) The Gift of Life was, and is, available to ALL, regardless of nationality, race, or color.

It took a vision from Heaven to teach one Jew that God is no respecter of persons, (Acts 10 and 11); however, he soon forgot the lesson. "...When Peter was come to Antioch, I withstood him to the face, because he was to be blamed. For before that certain came from James, he did eat with the Gentiles: but when they were come, he withdrew and separated himself, fearing them which were of the circumcision. And the other Jews dissembled likewise with him; insomuch that Barnabas also was carried away with their dissimulation. But when I saw that they walked not uprightly according to the truth of the Gospel,..." (Galatians 2:11-14). How many, who call themselves Christians, are living the same hypocrisy?

"God that made the world and all things therein, ... hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, ... that they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after Him, and find Him, though He be not far from everyone of us: for in Him we live, and move, and have our being; ..." (Acts 17:24,26,27). In God's eyes, it is not the outward appearance that sets a man apart; it is his heart. "... For-the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart." (1 Samuel 16:7) We ought to see a man's character, his life, the Master whom he serves, his "soul."

"For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus." (Galatians 3:26-28) "Putting on Christ" ought to hide skin color. But for many it does not. How many of our white brethren are ready to accept another white, but not a black? How many of our black brethren are ready to accept another black, but not a brown? If we call ourselves Christians, we should be living the following truth? "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbor as thyself." (Luke 10:27) Or are we hypocrites?

"As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all, especially unto them that are of the household of faith." (Galatians 6:10) To whom, if not "all" souls, does the "all" refer? What greater good could we do than to lead a precious soul to Christ? Yet, how many Christians, because of a man's color, will not speak to him about the wonderful love of Jesus?

Did Jesus, with prejudice and hatred in His heart, die just for a select few? How then can we who have died with Him hold prejudice and hatred in our hearts toward others? It is written, "I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave Himself for me." (Galatians 2:20) Some Christians need to crucify prejudice and hatred. (Read Colossians 3:5-10)

Many people have experienced prejudice and hatred because of their color, but I have not. Thus, I feel ill-equipped to write such an article; yet, I feel compelled to do so. Perhaps some of my brethren who hold prejudice and hatred in their hearts will consider what it means to be a Christian, what it means that Christ died for all souls, what it means to love one's neighbor, what it means to truly put on Christ. Then, perhaps, we can all learn to "trust a man's soul, rather than his looks."