Your Father

One day a poor bedraggled black slave fleeing for his life limped up to a rich cultivator 's house.Weak with hunger and thirst he knocked at the door.

The lady of the house dressed in fine clothes opened the door and looked at him questioningly.

The man twisted his battered hat nervously in his hand and said, ' Mam, I have not eaten for two days, please can you give me something to put into my aching belly."

The woman sighed deeply as she examined his shabby smelly form. "Meet me at the back door," she said and disappeared into the house.

The man waited politely on the back porch while the lady fetched him a bowl of soup and a few slices of bread. Handing him the food she gazed at him with her piercing blue eyes." You know the Lord' s prayer - Out Father which art in heaven, say it before you begin to eat.Tell God how grateful you are for this food." she commanded.

The hapless man hesitated, beads of perspiration shining on his ebony forehead. Holding the bowl in his trembling hands, he lifted his eyes towards heaven started to pray,"Your Father which art in heaven." "Stop,' barked the lady, her face red with irritation," What are you praying? Don' t you know the prayer begins with Our Father not Your Father. Say it the right way."

The black man sadly shook his head and put down the food on the ground near the lady 's well shod feet. Then putting his hat back on his head he said, 'No Mistress, if he was our father , you would have invited me into your house and fed me on your front porch at least, " With that he turned around and walked away from the silent house.

The days of slavery are over but prejudices and divides exist all over the world. In my country there are walls of class, caste, religion , language, economy etc. We have to demolish these barriers for the sake of Christ and humanity.

19Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God's people and members of God's household, 20built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. 21In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. 22And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.
Ephesians 2 (New Testament)

1My brothers, as believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ, don't show favoritism. 2Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in shabby clothes also comes in. 3If you show special attention to the man wearing fine clothes and say, "Here's a good seat for you," but say to the poor man, "You stand there" or "Sit on the floor by my feet," 4have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?
5Listen, my dear brothers: Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom he promised those who love him?.

James 2 (New Testament)