The Content of His Character

I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.
-Martin Luther King, Jr.

These words, first heard by the nation on August 28, 1963, have been forever ingrained in the hearts of millions who have fought in the civil rights movement. Before our country's birth, social caste systems were established to set certain races, genders, and nationalities above others, and Dr. King challenged the status quo with his heartfelt speech on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. Today, it may seem that race is no longer an issue worth debating or marching over; however, discussions of race and color have seemed to perpetuate through several generations, and discrimination and prejudice still disenfranchises many.

So many subjects for discussion can be derived from the statement above - racism, equality, segregation, prejudice - but the last line seems applicable to the discussion of Christianity and culture. By believing King's statement to be true, then we are judged by our character, but what defines our character? What makes my character different from the person sitting next to me? I act like a good person, but so does that guy. I live my life the right way, but she does, too. Are we all of good character then?

Our character is defined not by how we act, but by how we react. According to Sir Isaac Newton's third law of motion, for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. Therefore, motion and energy is continued through the reacting forces. When a baseball bat connects with the ball traveling toward home plate, the ball reacts in the opposite direction of its path in the direction of the motion of the bat.

What does this physics lesson have to do with Christianity?

Getting stuck in traffic makes us react a certain way - frustration, anger, annoyance, impatience - and the way we react gives glimpse into the framework of our character. When we hear about culture wars in Madagascar, we react another way - ignorance, compassion, judgment. When a loved one dies of an incurable disease, our reaction brings out a new set of emotions that have been tapped before. In each case, reactions shed light on character.

When bad things happen, it is human nature to wonder, "WHY?" That is a reaction. The reaction makes us ask more questions, and sometimes we become even more confused. As a Christian, my reaction tends to be a little bit different because of an awareness of the big picture; there's more to this life than what we experience. A God-follower's character shows differently.

In the same way, Jesus acted as a model of God's character on this earth, but his character was not defined by his actions. The content of His character was defined by His reactions. While thousands of people mocked him, he did not waver. While dozens of Roman soldiers beat him before his execution, he did not recant his confession to be the Savior. When he hung on the cross as onlookers rolled dice for his clothes, he asked God to forgive them.

His reactions portray the content of His character.