Racial Reconciliation

Occasionally, the blind grandfather who lived in the household would leave the phone off the hook, prompting my Mom to send me up the hill to ask someone to replace it.

The black family operated a slaughterhouse. We always took our livestock there in late fall. I got to know some of the aging black gentlemen who would hang out there. Occasionally, I would get up at 5:00 a.m. and ease up there to hang out around the potbellied stove so I could listen to those old men share stories. I now realize it was an important part of developing my lifelong interest in humor and storytelling.

They would often invite me share a breakfast of fried eggs or fresh chitterlings. I've probably eaten more "chitlins" than a lot of my African-American friends. By the way, the secret to good chitlins is to wash them thoroughly before cooking in lots and lots and lots of cold running water (you can't wash them too much).

When I started attending the Promise Keepers stadium events in 1995, I was baffled by the fixation on "racial reconciliation." In fact, it eventually really became a problem for me. I believe that if you are a Christian, then that racism, as well as many other issues, should be off your plate. It was about the only area where I thought Promise Keepers might be off track.

If you have truly accepted Jesus into your heart, then racism can't be in there too. It was for that reason I considered the time Promise Keepers spent on racial reconciliation pretty much wasted, or at the very least a strange fixation. It became a factor in my decision not to attend a PK stadium for a year or two.

While I served on a regional PK task force with some great Christian men of color, it took a chance encounter for me to fully understand why Promise Keepers was spending so much time on racial reconciliation.

I making a delivery on Paducah's North side in what would be considered a predominantly African-American part of town. I was looking for a street that is only a couple of blocks long and is difficult to find. I know it's "a guy thing" that we're not supposed to ask directions, but I saw a black gentleman who appeared to be in his 70's ambling down the sidewalk and pulled over. I figured he'd be nice enough not to tell anyone I stopped to ask directions. I asked where I could find the street. He said, "It's the fourth or fifth street up here to your left."

I said, "Thank you, sir," and started to drive off. He held out is cane to stop me and said, "Wait a minute, what did you say?" From the unusual look on his face, I thought maybe he had misunderstood me and somehow taken offense at something he thought I said. I recited clearly, "I said, thank you, sir." A satisfied-looking smile came to his face and he said, "I thought that's what you said." Without me having to ask for an explanation he added thoughtfully, "You know, this is maybe the fourth or fifth time in my life that a white man has ever called me 'sir.' I want you to know that I appreciate it." We both smiled and I drove off.

I wish I had asked him his name. It was only later while thinking about the curious encounter that I had one of those, "OK Lord, I get it" moments.

I was suddenly aware that all that time Promise Keepers spent on racial reconciliation wasn't as wasted as I once thought. I realized that I have minority brothers in Christ who still do not feel honored and respected in this world. As a Christian, I have an obligation to do something about that.

It also reminded me of a great story shared by my friend Bob Swisher. Bob told about an elderly black man who would sometimes hang out at the local pool hall in our hometown, Marion, Kentucky.

During the "race riots" of the 1960's a couple of young tough-guys cornered the gentleman and were giving him a hard time. One of them said accusingly, "You know, we've been seeing a lot of black folks on TV being critical of white people and we want to know what you think about that." The old man straightened himself and replied directly, "Well, I'm a Christian. When I die I've always known that I'll go to heaven, and I've always thought that, when I get there, I might discover that God just might be a white man. I don't suspect you'll hear me saying anything ill about white folks."

I've always wondered how different the world might be if more of "us white folks" could imagine getting to heaven and finding out that "God just might be a black man." I suspect Promise Keepers would be able to spend a lot less time working on racial reconciliation.

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Keith Todd runs a marketing, advertising, and corporate relations firm in Paducah, Ky. In his spare time he is a freelance writer and humorist.

Today's Daily Wisdom post was edited by Keith Todd, moderator of theSermon Fodder list which offers Christian humor and modern day parables forenjoyment and for use as sermon illustration material. To subscribe go to http://www.sermonfodder.com or drop an email note to Sermon_Fodder-subscribe@yahoogroups.com