I have to confess that when DC Talk released their Jesus Freak CD in the 1990s I wasn't a big fan of theirs for several reasons we don't need to get into here. But as I grow older( and hopefully more mature), I truly appreciate what they were doing with that CD. The title track is still played at every Toby Mac concert I have attended, but the song Colored People really grabs me. Part of the attraction is that I like Kevin Max's voice on that song. But take a look at the lyrics:[1, 1, 1, 1... 2, 2, 2, 2... 3, 3, 3, 3... 4, 4, 4, 4]
Pardon me, your epidermis is showing, sir
I couldn't help but note your shade of melanin
I tip my hat to the colorful arrangement
Cause I see the beauty in the tones of our skin
We've gotta come together
And thank the Maker of us all
(chorus)
We're colored people, and we live in a tainted place
We're colored people, and they call us the human race
We've got a history so full of mistakes
And we are colored people who depend on a Holy Grace
[1, 1, 1, 1... 2, 2, 2, 2... 3, 3, 3, 3... 4, 4, 4, 4]
A piece of canvas is only the beginning for
It takes on character with every loving stroke
This thing of beauty is the passion of an Artist's heart
By God's design, we are a skin kaleidoscope
We've gotta come together,
Aren't we all human after all?
(repeat chorus)
Ignorance has wronged some races
And vengeance is the Lord's
If we aspire to share this space
Repentance is the cure
[1, 1, 1, 1... 2, 2, 2, 2... 3, 3, 3, 3... 4, 4, 4, 4]
Well, just a day in the shoes of a color blind man
Should make it easy for you to see
That these diverse tones do more than cover our bones
As a part of our anatomy
(repeat chorus)
We're colored people, and they call us the human race
[Oh, colored people]
We're colored people, and we all gotta share this space
[Yeah we've got to come together somehow]
We're colored people, and we live in a tainted world
[Red and yellow, black and white]
We're colored people, every man, woman, boy, and girl
[Colored people, colored people, colored people, colored people, yeah]
When I hear that song I feel so sick for the way we have treated people based on their race and ethnicity. God forgive me for my bigotry and hatred toward so many people in my life. As I mature, I look back with sadness at many things I have said and done.
God forgive the church for the racism it has practiced and condoned throughout the years. God help those people to not close their hearts to Christ because of the behavior of the church and the Christians who are its body parts. And God let me be a minister that sees souls and not melanin. The world has had enough of that.
Go buy the Jesus Freak 10th Anniversary CD if you want a good listen. The remixes on the 2nd CD are worth every penny, including Jesus Freak in a minor key.
Posts
