A Deer Of a Different Color!

The other day I drove into my driveway and when I looked across the street I saw four to five deer (does to be exact) feeding in my neighbor’s front yard. Then, by one of the bushes I saw what at first looked like a white goat, with its head down into the grass. I couldn’t help but do a double take. Was it a goat? Or maybe it was a small llama that got mixed into the herd. No, it was a young albino deer with a white body and some brown on its head!

It soon picked up its head and gazed at me while I began to snap some pictures of it. The other deer looked up as well. None of them took off, they’re too used to people to be easily scared off. Soon the little white deer walked over to the others and nuzzled the one that must have been its mother. None of the deer seemed to think anything odd about the little albino deer. This was not like Rudolph with his shiny red nose being mocked! It was not shunned or treated differently. Although by its coloring it appeared so different from the others, to the rest he or she (I wasn’t sure which) was just one of the herd. 

The little albino deer!  

I thought to myself, if only we humans would learn a lesson from the deer. After all, we are always setting up our categories of people based on their skin color, ethnicity, economic status, gender, religion, etc. and then treat them according to the categories we have created. We may not mean to do so, but we make judgments based on the categories we have created and so easily speak about “us” and “them” or “those people.”  In fact, our world is as divided now as it has ever been—both inside and outside of the church. It’s part of our sin nature. 

But the gospel tells us that Jesus came to destroy all of the categories and barriers that sin has created among us.  The Apostle Paul wrote, “There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” (Galatians 3:28 – NIV)  To the Ephesians, Paul wrote of how Christ has “destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility.” (Ephesians 2:14) And the book of Revelation shows us that one day, we will be part of “a great multitude that on one could count, from every nation, tribe, people, and language” who will stand before the throne of God and with one voice lift their praise to God. (Revelation 7:9 - NIV) No more categories or barriers!

Part of the work of Christ in our lives and in our world was and is to break down the barriers and categories of our fallen nature. Thus, we who are followers of Christ have the opportunity to model for our world what it looks like to live in unity and harmony with our fellow man; to love those who may be different from ourselves—no more “us” and “them!”  Through the work of Christ we are all one and the same before God, our heavenly Father. Thus, we are called to see each other as such and to treat each other as such.

Let’s thank God today that no matter the color of our skin, ethnic background, gender, socio-economic level, etc. Christ came and died for each of us. We all have the very same opportunity to know God as our Father. To him we are all the same.  And, in Christ we are all made one! 

Have a great day!

Pastor Tim Harris