I read an article yesterday that said 18-24 year olds were more or less color-blind. The person quoted, who was my age, said that rather than determining ethnicity or what drives them spiritually or culturally, that their bonds are created based on shared values. Hmm…Sounds good on the surface, but is that the world we want to live in? And where are the “values” coming from if not from spirituality or culture?
As I sat and pondered on this “evolution” in our thinking, I started to wonder if we had perhaps missed something on our way to creating this colorless world. On the one hand I’m delighted that this generation has discovered that common values are infinitely more important than skin color. On the other hand, I’m disappointed that we had to be struck blind to achieve it.
This may sound strange, but with a God who likes variety why do we feel the need to all be the same? Will we ever learn that different does not mean deficient? Rather than trying to achieve a color-blind society why not strive for a tolerant and respectful society that celebrates our colorful world?
Beautiful people are everywhere. It’s not just their external skin color ranging from alabaster to ebony that makes them so gorgeous, but also their inner qualities developed as a result of their culture and spirituality. You see…
It’s our differences that make us each unique, fascinating, and powerful. But it’s our respect and acceptance of each other that makes us collectively, unstoppable. Click To TweetI don’t believe we have to be color-blind to be conscientious citizens. For true progress isn’t in not seeing color, but rather in seeing color and not judging based upon it. That is when we will have evolved into better human beings.
Thinking more on it, I’m not sure he’s right about this group of young people. In my humble opinion, I’d say that this is the generation that will propel us forward in truly seeing the individual – live and in Technicolor. It’s not about all being the same color, but rather all the colors being on the same page. Being “blind” is not an option for them, because each person – along with their unique color – adds something to their picture of the world.
Perhaps it is us – those of us who birthed this generation – that have yet to advance in our thinking. Do we describe them as color-blind because that is the only way we can understand their new norm? Are we the ones still stuck in seeing color purely as the shade of our skin? Mayhap it’s time we let some things go so we can grow.
Like the rest of nature we are born to be colorful, radiating the spectrum of God’s glory. Our “color” is more than the hue of our skin. It is the essence of ourselves that shines through for the world to see and celebrate.
So back to the original question – is this the world we want to live in? For me, I want to share values and see color. I want to celebrate differences without judging for deficiencies. I want to acknowledge the power of the individual and the dynamic force of many. I want to use the big crayon box to color our world.
So tell me what you think! Agree or disagree, I’d love to hear your thoughts and comments so we can learn and grow together.
Loving on Me as I Love You! ❤
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