“The Secret Life of Bees” (December 2008)

Days after the election, my wife and I went to see the new movie “The Secret Life of Bees.” She had read the book while I had not. Both of us thoroughly enjoyed the film and recommend it.

While watching I was struck by the realistic portrayal of racial bigotry which was prevalent in the South during the era in which it was set (the mid-1960’s). I was taken back in time. When I was five we moved from Southern California to Midland, Texas where my father served a church and started a school. That was 1957. Texas was segregated, and I recalled seeing the signs over water fountains and restrooms “White Only” or “Colored Only.” Later I was baffled when I was not allowed to sit in the balcony of the downtown movie palace. I was told it was restricted - that was the only place ‘colored people’ were allowed to sit, and ‘nice’ white people didn’t go up there. As I grew up, I met many of the sort of men depicted in “Bees.” They were certain that segregation was God’s intent and that whites were superior.

The Civil Rights movement was a very painful era. It seemed unimaginable, then, that racial equality could be achieved let alone that American society could find a way to become ‘Colorblind.’ Yet here we are in 2008, having elected as our ‘first citizen,’ our president, a black man. As I sat in another theater in a different decade, I was flooded with those memories and thoughts.

Advent will be upon us when this is published. The world into which Jesus was born was full of cruelty, bigotry, and oppression. Jesus was born to overcome them all and to teach us that God sees us all as the same. We are all children of God and we are all sinners in need of redemption. There is certainly prejudice and even racism to be found, and are a long way from truly being ‘colorblind.’ Still regardless of political affiliation, this an amazing moment. Martin Luther King, Jr. dreamed of it when he said “…Men will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character.” It looks like we are getting there.