In honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, I want to share with you a powerful message on Focus on the Family with Jim Daly. It’s by my dear friend and brother in Christ, Carey Casey, about building racial harmony in our communities.
Carey was part of the real-life story captured in Remember the Titans starring Denzel Washington, a movie about an African-American high school football coach who overcame significant challenges after being hired to coach the school’s first racially integrated team. The Titans overcame tremendous adversity, worked through their racial differences, and won the state championship.
Unfortunately for Carey, he was on the team the Titans beat.
Ever the optimist, however, Carey reframes that disappointing memory into a teachable moment. He uses the acrostic TITANS as a helpful device for crossing the racial divide:
• Be Teachable – Learn from one another.
• Integrity – Be trustworthy. Overcome wickedness by doing what’s right.
• Tested – You’ll be tested by people who challenge your friendships with people from different ethnicities. Stand on truth.
• Attitude – See the glass as half full. Keep a positive attitude. Have the attitude of Jesus Christ.
• Name above all names – Put Christ first in your life. Model Christianity for others.
• You are Special.
To facilitate racial harmony, Carey says, “God doesn’t want you to remember the Titans, but to remember your Creator, who made you.”
Dr. Carey Casey is the President of the National Center for Fathering.