Week 28—Saturday Acts 10:25-29
Acts 10:25-29
“FOR WHITES ONLY”—IN THE DUSTBIN
For centuries these principles of the Christian faith have lain alongside corrupt customs and practices. The full impact of them has not been felt. Why? Because the Christian faith has been emphasized as the Word become word. It worked by implication, not by application. Its effect was indirect, not direct. Now we are more and more seeing that the Christian faith is not a faith but a fiction unless applied—unless it is the Word become flesh.
And the moment it becomes flesh it means revolution. One African pastor said this after one of my addresses: “A child before it is born begins to kick. Africa wants to be born, so Africa is kicking.” And kicking means upset. But upset had to come to set things up on a higher level, God’s level of equality for all.
I saw in a newspaper a picture of signs which had been taken down and were now in an ash can. They read, “For Whites Only.” We are fast dumping such signs in the ash cans. That is where they belong—they belong to a discarded and outgrown past.
Another sign which is slowly but surely doomed for the ash can is, “For the Rich Only.” That sign is not a visible sign in our civilization, but it is no less potent because it is invisible. Slowly but surely we are seeing the need to distribute wealth widely to have a healthy society. For wealth is like manure, gathered in one pile it is a striking mess, but scattered across the fields it becomes a golden harvest. We are scattering our wealth across the world, at least partly through our Christian principles that we must share with human need. But we are scattering it, and if it is wisely done it will result in a golden harvest of a free and uplifted humanity. And we will lift ourselves in the process. For only the servants of all become the greatest of all. The Word is becoming flesh!
O Blessed Father, you are putting your helping, saving arms under the dispossessed of the world and you are lifting them. Help us to cooperate with you. For if we do not cooperate with you, we belong to the dustbin. Save us. Amen.
AFFIRMATION FOR THE DAY: I shall throw into the dustbin every vestige of old and dying snobberies.