In Color

Have you ever watched an old black and white movie like A Christmas Carol, It’s a Wonderful Life, or Miracle on 34th Street and then seen it again in color? Not only does it change the way the movie looks, it makes it seem more real, more interesting, more captivating. You see (and the young’uns in your life will verify this), black and white pictures and movies can be a bit boring.

Fourteen years ago, Jamey Johnson released a touching song titled “In Color” that speaks to the reality of how we view things that are in black and white. In the song, a little boy asks his grandpa about some old photos involving the Great Depression, World War II, and his grandparents’ wedding. The chorus says, “If it looks like we were scared to death, like a couple of kids just tryin’ to save each other, you should’ve seen it in color. A picture’s worth a thousand words, but you can’t see what those shades of gray keep covered. You should’ve seen it in color.”

Unless you have been living under a rock the past four weeks, you are aware of the war raging on in Ukraine. Though the pictures and videos we see of the war aren’t in black and white, many of us still aren’t truly seeing what is going on. It is like we are looking at the devastation and chaos in shades of gray. Some of us complain about gas prices while sitting in line at Starbucks in our gas-guzzling vehicles waiting to pay $5.00 for a beverage while a mosque in Ukraine, housing civilian children and women, is being bombed. Some grumble about rising food prices while people are fleeing the only homes they have ever known with whatever they can carry just so they can stay alive. Still, others are concerned about the declining stock market while Ukrainian children receiving cancer treatments are evacuated to Poland. In essence, we say we care about what is going on, but many of us are more concerned with how the war is inconveniencing us.

“Don’t be interested only in your own life, but care about the lives of others too.” (Philippians 2:4 ERV)

Folks, the opposite of love is not hate; it is indifference. We are called to love others as we love ourselves. But are we? Are we loving others, or are we indifferent? Are we seeing the hurting and injustice of God’s children all around us in shades of gray, or are we seeing them in color?

God’s Best…Steven

To listen to “In Color,” click HERE.