Vernita Simmons

A Letter to My African American Brothers and Sisters Vernita Simmons

When we reflect on His image, there is no sign of racism, pride, selfishness, or inequality. Jesus Christ died for all of humanity. He even paved the way for the Gentiles. Genesis says God made us in His image. How does that look? In this devotional letter, Vernita opens our minds to what it means to be in His likeness. Beloved, come travel with her as she pours her heart out to the nation in a plea to help overcome racism and social injustices. You'll go back to where it began, in 1619, when the white man brought the first African slaves to Jamestown, Virginia. The journey spans the time to ignite a passion for us to value and reverence each other. It starts when we see ourselves through God's likeness and recognize whom He called us to be. She smashes the misconception on the cause of bigotry while revealing it's an issue of the heart. From her multicultural family, which roots back to descendants of Cherokee Indians, Neat reminds us that goodness is in every ethnicity, no race is better than another, and hatred is in every nation. The change must begin with us. You don't have to agree with everyone's lifestyle choices, beliefs, or opinions, but we serve love when we honor each race. She urges everybody to use their words and actions to leave behind a residue of God's love.