Do you find Identity in Christ or TV?

As I watched a Spanish television station a couple of nights ago, I was reminded of something that has perturbed me for quite a while. Why does it seem that 99.9% of the personalities chosen to grace the screen on those channels do not resemble the vast majority of their country’s population?

For example, when I’ve visited Colombia in South America, I see a wide array of shades and ethnicities descendent from a mixture of the Native Americans, Africans and Europeans. Yet when watching Colombian programs, one would believe that ALL Colombians look European. Although this was not necessarily new to me, it seemed to weigh on my heart more than ever before.

I began to search my logic as to why this was the case. As I thought about cultures around the world, I noticed that more frequently than not, the same European appearance was prevalent as the standard for beauty, leadership, and social success. Why is this? Is it that the darker skin and wide features of other ethnicities are not considered pretty enough for T.V.? Could it be that less European ethnicities innately are not ambitious and therefore in general not as successful? Were those less European just less capable? And an even more poignant question, why did it bother ME so much?

The possible answers frightened me.

Perhaps, it’s because as an African American, I was searching for my own identity in these very questions. If that’s how the world in general views people like me, what does that say about my beauty, my leadership ability, my capacity for success? I prayerfully submitted my questions to God. And though I realize that this concern may seem petty in many respects, God heard me and reminded me of who I am.

He reminded me that the standards of this world are not his standards. He reminded me that my identity as a believer is found in Christ alone. He reminded me that he created me and every human being in his image and with perfection in mind. Ultimately, he reminded me that regardless of skin color, eye color, hair texture, weight, height, and social status, we as believers are all part of one body. We share the love of Christ. We each have a sinful history that has been rectified by the blood of one common Savior, Jesus Christ.

Because of Christ’s amazing love for me and you, regardless of our differences, we are of the same family. Yeah, that’s right! I’m a black girl with kinky hair who has brothers and sisters with white skin and blonde hair and even some with Asian features! It’s exciting! It’s beautiful! It’s God’s design.

It should not surprise us that a world that creates such divisive ethnic distinctions is so foreign and uncomfortable to us because, as Paul so eloquently put it, we are not of this world “our citizenship is in heaven” a place where racial divide simply does not exist.

Shelly Cervantes is part of a multi-ethnic church in Houston, TX, where she serves in local missions, while also serving with her husband and children as missionaries in Colombia, South America.

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