Because you are different.

I will treat you differently because:

You are a woman.

Your skin is a different color than mine.

You are gay or lesbian.

Your religious beliefs are not mine.

I will treat you differently because you are different from me.

Now before you stop reading and pen a nasty comment or send a hateful email, allow me to expound.

 You are a woman. I will open doors for you; I probably wouldn’t if you were a man. I will let you go first. I would offer to carry your groceries. I will offer you my seat. I would work for you, not because you are a woman but because I know you worked hard to obtain your position. I would do all these because it is the proper thing to do…because you are a woman.

Your skin is a different color than mine. I will recognize that. I am not color blind. I will respect and honor your heritage, because that is who you are. I will vote for you, not because you are a minority or because your skin color is different than mine, but because I believe you will represent me. I believe that you can lead. I would hire you, not because of quotas, but because you are the best person for the job. I will call you friend, not because of the color of your skin, but because of the power of your personality.

You are gay or lesbian. I will treat you differently; if you are gay then I won’t ask you to go out on Saturday night to pick up women. If you are a lesbian then I won’t try to pick you up on Saturday night. I don’t do these things, not because I disagree with your life choices, but because I respect your choices. I won’t talk down to you because of who you are; my sexual preference does not affect my intelligence, I do not believe it affects yours either. I won’t scoff at you when you tell me you are in love. My sexual preference doesn’t stand in the way of the heart, neither does yours.

Your religious beliefs are not mine. I won’t offer you a cross or any symbol of my belief, because it is not yours. I won’t place a manger in your front yard, not because you don’t believe as I but because it is your yard. I won’t close the doors to my church when I see you coming. I won’t close my mind when I hear you talking. My beliefs are strong, you won’t change them, but they are no stronger than yours. I won’t try to change yours, but know that I will pray for you even when you can’t see my God.

The Trevon Martin, George Zimmerman story is in the news every day. “What if?” questions have sprouted across the plains. “What if Trevon had been white?” “What if Zimmerman had been black?” Would things have been different? Listen, an investigation into the shooting of Trevon was warranted not because he is black, but because he was killed. The sadness that was felt by so many should have come not because he was a young black man, but because he was he was a young man. The investigation of Zimmerman should have been conducted not because he was white or Hispanic, but because he shot someone. If these investigations cast doubt on the innocence of Zimmerman, then the judicial system should be put into motion, but not because of the skin color of either man.  And if that lead to trial, then it is because we live in a country that promises that right, not because one was white and one was black. And if a jury acquits or finds guilt it should be based on evidence not because one was black and one was not.

I will treat you differently because you are different than me. Today so many misconstrue one’s behavior as prejudice or bigoted, when in fact it is simply respect. I realize that among us there are those that are racist or bigots, they have been here for thousands of years and sadly will be here for many more.

 So how do I treat them?

I hope that I can always rely on the teachings of Jesus Christ when it comes to how I treat anybody. Christ never said we are all equal, or the same. He spoke differently to the woman at the well than he did to the Apostles that followed Him. Yet His message was the same, a message of love and care, a message of hope.

I won’t open doors for a bigot or racist. I won’t call them friend or invite them to dinner. But I will pray for them when they are in need. I will care for them when they are hurt. I will love them with the love of Christ. I will welcome them if the day comes that they set aside hatred and realize we are all different.

I will treat your differently because you are different than me.

In closing, I will confess that if you are a Washington Redskin’s fan, I will likely treat you differently on Sundays…well because you do deserve it.