Colorblind

Mid-March, or thereabouts: It doesn’t seem to matter what one’s background and heritage is. On March 17th, St. Patrick’s Day, many people join in the fun and frolic of the day and participate in what is called “the wearing of the green.” It has historical significance for the Irish who in a rebellion against the British in 1798, took to wearing green clothes or a shamrock to symbolize their allegiance to Ireland and the desire to be independent from Britain. It even became a song and a rallying cry for the movement.

I don’t have much in the way of green clothing these days, but in the spirit of the holiday, I did put on a shirt that has a hint of mint and wore a rather pretty shamrock pin. After all, St. Patrick was a Christian missionary to Ireland, and for that he is worth celebrating. So, I was in our kitchen and my son came in as well. His first words to me, spoken almost proudly, were, “Mom, I dressed up for the day.” I looked at my son, sizing up his “outfit,” wondering what he meant. I thought maybe he was wearing some kind of pin also that I could not see while he was turned away getting his breakfast together. Curious, I finally asked him, “Kevin, just how are you dressed for St. Patrick’s Day? He pointed to his fleece pants and was sure he was within the pale of the day’s color palette. I gently broke the news to him. “Kev, your pants are brown.” “They are? Oh, I thought they were green.” We both got a chuckle out of it.

Now, we have been aware for a while that Kevin cannot discern certain colors. His wardrobe consists mostly of blue clothing because he can see that, and it is appealing to him. But his disability hasn’t been recently noticed or discussed, and it’s kind of just forgotten. Actually, when it comes to distinguishing colors, it seems like it can be rather arbitrary as everyone’s eyes and brains will perceive colors in different ways. In general, those who see “correct” colors are actually just agreeing on a color name for what each is seeing. Those who are color aware see different colors distinctly unlike our colorblind family and friends who have trouble in that regard.

On this subject there is one thing of which I am certain; when it comes to human beings, our Lord is colorblind. He genuinely views us without a thought of color, nationality, size, intelligence, skill-set, status, and so on. He sees us all through the same lens, and when it comes to those who have made a relationship with him through his Son, we are seen through the blood of Christ and are perfected in his sight. He died for everyone in the world! God’s Word puts it like this: “Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator. Here there is not Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free; but Christ is all, and in all” (Colossians 3:9-11, ESV).

The commentary in my ESV Bible reasons that as this is true about our Lord who unifies us in himself, we should manifest the same posture towards all people. It states, “Racial and cultural prejudice has no place among Christians.”* Though we don’t always relate to customs and ways of people from backgrounds different from our own, it is imperative that we take it upon ourselves to be fair and open to all. The basis of this, of course, is love, both the love that God has for us and the love that we are compelled to have for each other. If we could love like he loves us and be as colorblind as our Lord and Savior, the world would be a much better place.

Though my son’s colorblindness is an inconvenience for him, the Lord’s colorblindness is a blessing and example to us. There is nothing inherent in any of us that eliminates us from his attention and care. He would ask us to have that same attitude toward others.

You helped provide a great lesson, Kevin. Thank you. Maybe next year you can borrow my pin. You may not discern the color appropriately, but I assure you, it is green.

*The ESV Student Study Bible Copyright 2011 by Crossway. All rights reserved. Page 1590, “Did You Know?” section.

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