We are All the Same Under the Skin

2 Corinthians 4:16-5:1 (NRSV)

So we do not lose heart. Even though our outer nature is wasting away, our inner nature is being renewed day by day. For our slight, momentary affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all measure, because we look not at what can be seen but at what cannot be seen, for what can be seen is temporary, but what cannot be seen is eternal.

In the 1980s, when we lived in Cedar Rapids, IA, I volunteered in an oral history project. Community volunteers interviewed nearly a hundred older citizens who shared memories of their lives. There were many inspiring interviews, but the one that stood out for me was an interview with Edith Atkinson, an African American. Atkinson was a gifted singer who grew up in Cedar Rapids and performed both opera and African American spirituals. She experienced the segregation of black performers, integrated white neighborhoods, and eventually broke the color barrier by becoming a supervisor in the main office of Collins Radio, the largest employer in Cedar Rapids. 

Edith and her husband Bob were the first Black family to move into an all-white neighborhood. They were treated with suspicion by most of the adults, and some even signed a petition to evict them. But Bob knew the way into hearts was through the children in the neighborhood. He befriended them, played with them, and let them help him out in the yard. Soon, the adults began inviting them in for coffee, and the relationships warmed. Over time, they were even invited to family weddings. 

In the course of the interview, Edith said, “We’re all brothers under the skin.” She shared a story to illustrate her belief. In 1977, Edith’s husband Bob was an employee of Penick and Ford, a starch manufacturer located in Cedar Rapids. One day, a chemical explosion occurred that involved Bob and two white men in a lab. They were all three badly burned and had to be transferred to the University Hospital in Iowa City. Edith was able to ride in the ambulance along with the victims.

She shared this memory: 

“I rode in the ambulance to Iowa City with them, and over the intercom radio, they said, ‘I’m bringing three burned victims from Penick and Ford, two whites and a black.’ And when we got in there, the doctor looked at them and said, ‘Which one’s the Black guy?’ The skin all looked the same when it was burned…they all looked the same under the skin. So, this brought home to me that we’re all the same under the skin. We burn, we hurt, we bleed….we’re all brothers under the skin.”

Edith’s husband Bob survived the accident, but the experience made a great impression on her. 

Edith and her family made an indelible impression for good in the community of Cedar Rapids. 

Let Us Pray:

Dear Lord, help us to remember the words of Paul that ‘we look not at what can be seen but at what cannot be seen, for what can be seen is temporary, but what cannot be seen is eternal.’ Help us to see inside others who appear to be different and see that we are all children of God. Thank you for helping us see beyond our differences into our shared humanity. Amen.

This devotional was written by Laura Derr and read by Judy Wilson.

Grace for All is a daily devotional podcast produced by the members of the congregation of First United Methodist Church in Maryville, Tennessee. With these devotionals, we want to remind listeners on a daily basis of the love and grace that God extends to all human beings, no matter their location, status, or condition in life. 

If you would like to respond to these devotionals in any way, we would enjoy hearing from you. Our email address is: podcasts@1stchurch.org. 

First United Methodist Church is a lively, spirit-filled congregation whose goal is to spread the message of love and grace into our community and throughout the world. We are located on the web at https://1stchurch.org/.