Making an Impact
As an aftermath of our discussion this past week on addressing our culture, I wrote the poem below about our country's race issue. May it inspire you to write your own material to touch our country and our world with the love of Jesus.
Blessings,
MaryAnn
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Raceless
by MaryAnn Diorio, Ph.D.
Why black or white?
Why look at skin?
What will it take
to stop the sin
of stigmatizing
God’s creation
with unjust
discrimination?
Why is it that
we fail to see
the truth that love
is color-free,
that hatred only
blinds the heart
and keeps both black
and white apart?
Why not proclaim
we are the same
in joy and laughter,
grief and pain?
Why not look past
the outer skin
to find the spirit
deep within?
O would that we
would rise above
the pettiness of
gross self-love
and look beyond
the outer man
to sister, brother
deep within.
But only Christ
can bridge the gap
that separates
the white and black.
For He is Love
and Love alone
can make us see
that we are one.
________________________________
Written April 7, 2008
Copyright 2008 by MaryAnn Diorio, Ph.D.
All rights reserved.
www.maryanndiorio.com
mailto:maryann@maryanndiorio.com
__________________________
Copyright 2008 by MaryAnn Diorio, Ph.D. All rights reserved. This blog entry may NOT be reproduced, reprinted, or published in any form whatsoever without the written permission of Dr. MaryAnn Diorio. You may, however, forward it to others, but please do so IN ITS ENTIRETY. Thank you for your cooperation.
Comments
Amen, Mary Ann! There is only ONE race, after all. The human race.
This is beautiful, MaryAnn! We are traveling along the Natchez Trace from Mississippi to Tennessee. As we drove into Alabama and Mississippi (I STILL sing the spelling of that state when I write it!)yesterday, my heart was filled with how far we have come--and how far we still have to go--with race relations in our country. Just like I sing the spelling of MS, prejudices absorbed as a child try to linger in our minds when we think they are gone.
God has blessed me with precious friends of color--what a gift. Isn't it wonderful that the gates of heaven belong to all who love the Lord and believe in his Son? No color discrimination, no checking for green cards...
Mary Ann, Thank you for saying it so well. I pray that this country will continue to grow as we fight this issue of "color".
A beautiful poem; love without boundaries as Christ loves.
Hi MaryAnn,
I'm so behind on email, so I just read this poem. :-) I just had to tell you how much I love it! Every word and feeling resonates a passionate "AMEN!" in my heart. Thanks for sharing this!
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I can't tell you how proud I am of my DW for what she has written. She lives these words every day and is and has always been an inspiration to me and our family. I have shared this poem while at work and several of the our nurses "of color" want permission to have this printed in their church bulletin.