“It is not enough to be non-racist, we must be anti-racist” says Angela Davis. True. However, I think it's not just enough to be anti-racist, we must be beauty obsessed. Let me explain.
Systemic racial male infanticide existed in Egypt sometime between in the 11th and 15th century BCE. The monarch's law was that all the slave(Hebrew) babies born had to be killed immediately if they were boys.
During this time, a Hebrew couple had a baby called Moses.
"By faith, Moses, when he was born, was hidden for three months by his parents, because they saw he was beautiful; and they were not afraid of the king’s command."
Hebrews 11:23
Even though systemic racism and racial male infanticide were legally imposed, Moses's mom and dad weren't having any of it! Why? Their magnificent obsession with beauty:
by faith - "they saw he was beautiful"
Human beings are made in the image of God - and the image of God, is always beautiful.
Here are a few thoughts on what might happen if, by faith, we saw the beauty of the image of God. i.e. the beauty of humans
1. We would take more risks
Can you imagine the risk Moses's parents took? They weren't afraid of the King's command!!
Even with your own baby, love can feel risky sometimes, but faith helps us to be beauty obsessed instead of being risk averse.
Fear is what prevents us from taking risks - but beauty is greater than fear.
2. We wouldn't conform to the status quo as much
Can you imagine the pressure Moses's parents would have faced? When the whole nation was going one way- they decided to go against the norm.
Even with your own baby, love can make you stick out sometimes, but faith helps us to be beauty obsessed instead of being image conscious.
Pressure is what prevents us from breaking the status quo but beauty is greater than pressure.
3. We would go the extra mile
Moses's parents kept the baby hidden for 90 days! How do you keep a crying baby hidden for 90 days, especially when you live in a slave camp?! I bet it felt like an inconvenience.
Even with your own baby, love is inconvenient sometimes but faith helps us to be beauty obsessed instead of being self focused.
Self-interest is what prevents us from going the extra mile but beauty is greater than self-interest.
Everyone has beauty but not everyone sees it. Faith sees beauty. What do you see?