Once again we were forced to view the unrepentant proclaim – contrary to their newly publicized behavioral miscue – that “this goes against who I am.” We hear this all the time from those closest to us and those in the public arena. When a wrong idea or behavior is revealed or escapes us, our first reaction is to say, “This is so against who I am and what I believe.” The trouble is, it’s not.
Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life. Proverbs 4:23
Everything we do, feel, think – everything – comes from the person we are deep down in our hearts. If an impurity has lodged itself in our hearts or we have left an avenue unguarded, our heart will betray us sooner or later. For Elliot Spitzer (“my behavior goes against my core belief in right and wrong”) it came sooner. For Ted Haggard (who used his pulpit to aggressively condemn homosexuality) it came later. For some, the moment of revelation has yet to come.
But…guaranteed, it will come. No matter how long we attempt to hide our behaviors or our thoughts or our proclivities, eventually a moment of weakness will allow them to surface, revealing for all the world what is in our heart, who we truly are.
On June 12, 1967 the Supreme Court of the United States handed down the Loving decision and changing the history of interracial marriage forever. This decision has had long reaching effects, not just for my own family in which two families are bi-racial, but for the 3.8% of all marriages that have chosen to cross the once taboo boundaries. At the time that Richard and Mildred Loving were married, their union was prohibited by state law and they were subject to incarceration for breaking out of the constraints of race and following their heart. They certainly would have lived out of the spotlight given the opportunity but their name will forever be remembered as the catalyst for change that so many are thankful for today.
LOVE | ACCEPT | FORGIVE 