In my case, I am actually of a “brownish—olive skin” nature and color, and I get much darker in the summer months (as the above photos would indicate). I don’t consider myself by color, but rather by my heart and soul. I do the same with others, or I certainly seek to do the same with others—by that, I mean that I attempt to show my compassion based on the innate components of the soul, not based on esthetics. Strangely enough, as an olive-skinned brown man in his mid 50s, I have often been mistaken for other ethnicities, other skin colors, other religions, and other shades. Even though other people may see my skin shade as a reason to exclude me or characterize me (or even place me in a box), I have seen my color as a reflection of God’s artistry and beauty—a reflection of His infinite goodness. He has made all of us—regardless of our skin color and ethnic identity—in His very own image and likeness. And that, in and of itself, makes us sons and daughters of the Creator of the Universe, while being sons and daughters of the King. He is truly the definition of love, kindness, compassion and mercy.
By the same token, this article is not intended as some sort of a naïve, granola-eating “kumbaya” love fest. Racism does exist in America, as it does in many other countries around the world. It even exists in this form: “Shades of color,” and not just “Shades of Grey.” Just consider the genocide in Rwanda and the divide between ethnic Hutus and Tutsis. While it is a complex matter—God knows—it is also a failure in terms of our desire and ability to treat each and every human being with the innate dignity, honor, and decency that God intended. At the same time, what does this “kumbaya love fest” mean anyway? Let’s take a look at one definition just to be sure:
The term kumbaya originates in an African-American spiritual song from the American South. The earliest record in the Library of Congress’s American Folklife Center (AFC) comes from lyrics collected in North Carolina in 1926 for a song called “Oh Lord, Won’t You Come By Here.” The spiritual pleads for divine intervention—for God to come by here and help a people in great need, referencing an area historically connected to the enslavement and oppression of African Americans. The word kumbaya is taken from the song’s refrain.
Source: https://www.dictionary.com/e/slang/kumbaya/
Given this most magnificent explanation of the term “kumbaya,” perhaps we do want to engage in a bit of “kumbaya.” After all (and as the definition states), it a “spiritual plead” for divine intervention, and for God to help a people in great need. I believe that is what we are today: A “people” in great need; in great need of healing, compassion, honor, integrity, decency, decorum, and understanding.
As a Christian, the Bible tells me clearly in Matthew 7:
7 “Do not judge, or you too will be judged. 2 For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. 3 “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?
Indeed, we can all learn something from this. It is not just about the evil of judging, but it also about recognizing the planks in our eyes.