May our eyes be open to new perspectives.

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Listen to my song “Heal Me” on YouTube by clicking HERE.

Purchase and/or stream my songs on Amazon Music by clicking HERE.

Purchase my book “Mercy Reigns: A Daily Devotional of Compassion, Comfort and Healing” on Amazon by clicking HERE.

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Matthew 7:3

“Why do you notice the splinter in your brother’s eye, but do not perceive the wooden beam in your own eye?”

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I bet Jesus was laughing as he was making this comment about how easy it is for each of us to judge others without seeing our own misconceptions.

I mean, seriously, how could you miss that wooden beam protruding from your own eye?

However, this is exactly what can happen if we aren’t humble.

I remember many times in my life when I felt that African Americans who complained about racism should just move on with their lives.

I am embarrassed to say that today.

I actually remember a time in the late 1980’s when I stuck my foot in my mouth in expressing something in regard to Martin Luther King Jr. At that time in my young adult life, I truly felt racism was behind us.

Today, I realize that at that exact time, the vicious and racist actions described in the recent movie and book Just Mercy were happening in Alabama.

Wooden beam in my eye.

(Today I highly regard Martin Luther King Jr. as a prophet.)

I remember six or seven years ago when I was taking Clinical Pastoral Education classes at a local hospital when I was told that an African American chaplain was going to teach us about “white privilege.”

I remember taking offense.

Me? I wasn’t privileged!

I worked hard to get where I am!

As I sat in that class, it was like scales fell from my eyes.

Or was it a wooden beam?

How could I have been so oblivious?

I remember how grateful I was to that chaplain for opening my eyes.

What we truly need today is for more white people to humbly and non-defensively listen to our African American sisters and brothers.

One very helpful book that I’m reading now is White Fragility by Robin DiAngelo.

I highly recommend it to my white readers.

There is a lot we can learn about wooden beams.

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Listen to the song of the day “Heal Me” on the Live to Love album by clicking HERE.

Purchase and/or stream my songs on Amazon Music by clicking HERE.

Purchase my book “Mercy Reigns: A Daily Devotional of Compassion, Comfort and Healing” on Amazon by clicking HERE.

Remember: God loves you!