I met Richard while I was in Seminary in Richmond, Virginia. He was the first African-American I could call a friend. Until we moved to Richmond, I had spent most of my life in West Coast suburbia with little opportunity to experience much by way of racial or ethnic diversity.

I certainly would never have considered myself a racist if by racist you mean race-based hatred or fear. But Richard helped me to see that Americans, white and black, are racists in that we notice race, we notice differences, make assumptions and jump to conclusions. (Many of us who have traveled to Brazil have commented how wonderful it is to be in an environment where we don’t notice race.)

When Park member Wendi Etzel sent me the news story about Carl Farris, a student she knew well, (read all about it) and I saw Carl’s photo, I am ashamed to say that I found myself making assumptions and jumping to conclusions. A young African American male with a large diamond stud earring who is shot in a drive-by shooting. “Probably up to no good,” I thought, and I was very wrong.

Sunday’s sermon text is from 2 Samuel 16, the anointing of David as king. At first the prophet Samuel can’t understand why he is unable to find “the man after God’s own heart” from among the older sons of Jesse. God has to teach him a lesson before he finds his man, the shepherd boy David.

The LORD said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.” (1 Samuel 16:7)

I still have lessons to learn as well.