1977 Alabama Baptists

 The year was 1977. I remember attending a church in my small Alabama town that had a teen Agape room. The room was painted sky blue and had painted clouds and rainbows on the walls. The youth minister invited many of the high school teens to the church and wanted those teens to join the church. A black special education student who had limited cognitive abilities attended the church on Sundays and Bible study in the Agape room during the week. During Sunday invitation, the EMR boy (educably mentally retarded was the label at the time) came up to the alter, knelt in prayer, offered himself to God and Christ, and asked to join the church. The preacher cut off the pianist and announced the boy's request. The preacher asked if there was any member of the congregation who would [nominate] this innocent soul as a member of the congregation. There was silence in this yellow brick church that sat high on a hill, it's peaked steeple visible from all over town....SILENCE. I was shocked...and I thought...who are these people who think that they hold the keys to the pearly gates? SILENCE.... In my head I sang "Red, yellow, black and white/they are precious in his sight." That was the last time that I visited the Agape room or worshiped in that church. #quoteoftheday

-And for anyone reading this, human DNA is 99% the same regardless of skin color.

I received this reply today on LinkedIn.

Patti Manolakis1st degree connection 1stPresident at PMM Consulting, LLC & Co-Founder and Chair, Board of Directors at Javesca Feeds

2h

That is heartbreaking beyond words! It is tragic and destructive when a person marginalizes and excludes another person. Reading about this action by people who see themselves as Christians, 44 years later, my heart grieves for this boy, for you and all who experienced and witnessed this awful action by a Christian leader - and in this case a whole community of Christians (whether intentionally or through silent fear). For God so loved THE WORLD (not any one fraction). How destructive the forces of pride, supremacy, prejudice, fear, and misuses of power, influence, and faith can be. The question I take away is how can we love well, show no partiality, and find courage and our voices to speak up in protection, love and justice in face of oppression and injustice, in real-time. This has me reflecting on a Zoom meeting awhile back where a microaggression was spoken indirectly. I remained silent. I have to do better for my sisters and brothers, our world. Thank you for sharing this.❤️