Going My Way. Today

On the morning of the 24th, the 37th Anniversary of our Wedding, I was watching CBS Morning News. There is a segment where each reporter relates their favorite story of the day. Gayle King chose the death of Juliette Greco, a French renown singer and actress. (See article below)

While the famous Jazz musician, Miles Davis, was performing in Paris, Greco met Davis and formed a love relationship that lasted till Miles Davis death. When asked whey he never married Greco, Miles said “Because I love her too much to make her unhappy.” Gayle King as well as many others thought that maybe Miles was not any easy person to live with, but that wasn’t the reason. Miles knew that in America, a white woman who was married to a black man would be scorned and hated, and he did not want that for her.

I also have an interracial marriage and though my wife and I did not meet in the 1950’s when some states did not allow marriages between the races, there were still some people that did not approve of our marriage, one actually being a clergy member, and once discovered, my soon-to-be wife (at that time) never attended his church again.

With the current political and social climate of our country, I am more than concerned that we may lead back to that direction as those who mistakenly deem themselves as Christians somehow believe that miscegenation, or the marriage/cohabitations between two people from different racial groups, is not allowed in the Bible. Sounds farfetched? Perhaps not. And this does not even involve those who ridicule “Black Lives Matter” or praise the police officers who unjustifiably beat, restrain, and kill black folk, not to mention our justice system where these officers are not charged for their wrongful acts.

I am deeply worried about our country. Have freedom of religion, practice whatever religion or non-religion you want, but let us not have a religiously-run government for the simple reason that Christ taught us to love one another with unbridled compassion, but surprisingly that perfectly clear message gets misconstrued.

Whoever you wish to be the next President, whatever the turnout of the election, we must spread only Christ’s message of love, redemption, forgiveness, tolerance and hope. Everything else, leave to the side. Let us not feel that loving someone may lead to regrets.