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Color Blind Criticism Is Not Racism
Hillary Clinton, in a major campaign faux pas, brought the subject back to the forefront when, on May 23, 2008, in response to the question of why she had not bowed out of the Democratic primary race despite Barack Obama’s clear status as the presumptive nominee said, “We all remember Bobby Kennedy was assassinated in June in California.”
Oops.
Barack Obama has not steered clear of the idea that race will be used against him. Just a few days ago in a speech in Jacksonville, Florida, he said:
It is going to be very difficult for Republicans to run on their stewardship of the economy or their outstanding foreign policy. We know what kind of campaign they’re going to run. They’re going to try to make you afraid. They’re going to try to make you afraid of me. He’s young and inexperienced and he’s got a funny name. And did I mention he’s black?
Ouch.
I hope that Obama is wrong. And I think he is, though maybe I’m being naive.
Here’s what I hope and pray is true of America at this moment in our history; I hope and pray we are color blind enough to …
■ vote for or against a man – or woman – no matter what his or her race;
■ affirm or criticize a candidate no matter what his or her race; and
■ when a person so follows his or her conscience in voting, affirming or criticizing, we not accuse them of racism.
If Obama wants to woo the hearts of swing voters in the face of real or perceived prejudice, he could take a page from Ronald Reagan’s game plan to turn a negative into a positive. When asked (again and again) if it was legitimate to make age an election issue, in a debate with Walter Mondale, he used his non-abrasive brand of humor to neutralize the power of the question to divide:
I will not make age an issue of this campaign. I am not going to exploit for political purposes my opponent’s youth and inexperience.
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Distractions and Focus
Since we are surrounded by so many examples of faith, we must get rid of everything that slows us down, especially sin that distracts us. We must run the race that lies ahead of us and never give up. We must focus on Jesus, the source and goal of our faith. He saw the joy ahead of him, so he endured death on the cross and ignored the disgrace it brought him. Then he received the highest position in heaven, the one next to the throne of God. (Hebrews 12:1-3, God’s Word)
Hebrews chapter 11 is known as the “Faith Hall of Fame”. It provides a cast of characters that walked by faith and endured incredible challenges and disappointments, despite never receiving the full measure of reward they were expecting.
How did they do it? How did they overcome?
They kept their eyes on the prize. Their faith was empowered by an unwavering hope.
These first three verses of Hebrews 12 continue that theme. For Christians, keeping the faith in tough times happens by focusing on Jesus. He is the “source and goal of our faith”—he modeled the very same focus in His life. When going through the agony of His death, “he saw the joy ahead of him, so he endured.”
In addition to a call to focus in these verses, there is also the command to get rid of the distractions that take our attention from what matters most. We live in a culture that is filled with distractions. Many of us have lost sight of what really matters chasing after things that are meaningless at best and destructive at worst.
What a great paradigm for walking in faith. But the twin commands to get rid of distractions and stay focused on what matters are great for almost every area of life, from business success in tough times to family unity when there are areas of disagreement.
What is slowing you down? What do you need to get rid of? What do you need to focus on? It will make all the difference in your life, no matter what you are enduring right now.
