People Are People

Based on a “random” encounter I had as a late-in-life college student back in 2013 (I returned to college in my mid-40s to finish my undergraduate degree)…

A young man on the Mercer campus stopped me recently to comment on my Chelsea jersey (EPL soccer). His accent was noticeable, so I asked him, “Where are you from?” He replied, “My name is Mohammed. I am from Liberia. It’s in Africa.” Wish you could have seen the look on his face when I responded, “Yes. It’s between the Ivory Coast and Sierra Leone.” He stared back at me… “You know Liberia?” We then proceeded to talk for quite a while about his home country, his experiences in that war-torn place, and his time here in America. I remain convinced that it is not the things like race, nationality, culture, ethnicity, politics, or even religion that separate us in this world. Not at all. It’s our own silly reluctance and unwillingness to talk to people and listen to them when they talk. The world is only as big as your fears and excuses. People are people… each and every one of us created in the image of God.

“Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.” ~ 1 John 4:11