Historic Day
When I was a young boy, I think I was 6 or 7, (1959 or 1960) my family was not poor, but we certainly were not rich. We didn’t own a car. My oldest sister supported my family of 8 that still lived at home on her job as a secretary. She was at work one day when she was talking with some friends and said that we would love to take a vacation but didn’t have a car to get anywhere. An African American gentleman that worked with her offered to pick our family up on a Saturday and take our family camping and return the next week to pick us up and deliver us home. So we made plans and this gentleman picked us up. It must have been a sight to see all of us in one car, some of the older ones had to stay home, but the car was packed. We headed out early that Saturday. After driving about an hour we stopped for breakfast in a small town. We entered the restaurant and sat down. We sat for several minutes before a waitress finally came to our table and speaking to my mother said, “Ma’am we will take your order but we will not serve the n______.” My mom said, “he is with us.” The waitress left and soon came back and said, “We will feed the n_______ out at the back door.” My mom said, “if you feed us, you feed him.” About 10 minutes later a truck load of men pulled up to the restaurant and all got out holding guns. We got the message. We got up, got back in the car and left. The truck followed us to the county line. Now my mother was old south. I’ve heard her use the n word more than once herself. But this man was doing us a kindness and she was not going to allow him to be mistreated. Honestly, I have used it, not proud of it, but I have used it.
I will never forget that experience. Today sitting at lunch and watching the inaugaration ceremonies that incident came to my mind. How far have we come in my lifetime. I was watching the faces of elderly African American men and women, some of them with the Tuskegee Airman hats on. I cannot imagine fighting and defending a country that treated them as they were treated for many years in this country. And I have African American friends that describe similar treatment in the North as they received in the South, it just wasn’t codified in law. So in a sense the entire country was responsible. Now, I disagree with many of the campaign promises of President Obama but I’m telling you if you have any empathy at all for your fellow human beings, how could you not have felt something, seeing those old faces that most all could recount for you some line about discrimination and understand their pride that one of their own was now President.
I was proud of Rick Warren. He is a Southern Baptist, I am one loosely. I am proud that the SBC was the FIRST denomination to apologize for slavery. I am proud that Warren’s church is one of the most active churches in the world in responding to the AIDS crisis around the world. I am proud that Warren did not bow to the ecumenism of our generation and ended his prayer not only in the name of Jesus but in the name of Jesus in several languages.
I pray for President Obama. I trust God’s Word that no one rules without Him knowing it and allowing it. I have already heard many of the pundits on the radio tearing apart the speech, but I tell you I have never heard a more articulate politician ever. The presentation was the best. I hope his ideas and his actions are as splendid as his oratory. God Bless You, President Obama.
