don't judge a book by it's cover 153/366

there are things in this world that 
we cannot see with our eyes
we cannot hear with our ears
we cannot touch with our hands
but that does not mean that they are not real

gravity
oxygen
carbon dioxide
the wind
racism 
privilege
prejudice

All of these things (and more "unseens")
affect all of our lives.
They just don't all affect 
all of us 
the same way .

None of us has control over where we are born, 
who our parents are 
or how much melanin we are born with. 

Yet there are some who feel superior or inferior 
based on the shade of their color 
(which, again they had no say so in) 
or their ancestry 
(again, out of their influence.) 

This is a real thing 
with real consequences for all of us,
whether we are aware of its presence or not.

I am an avid reader and over the years I have heard, more than once, "you can't judge a book by it's cover". I have found value in that advice. Some books are much better than their cover would lead you to believe and some are much worse. 

That leads me to the following question: If you should never judge a book by it's cover, why would anyone think it is okay to judge a person by the color of the organ that covers their skin? Or their accent? Or their heritage? Or anything else? 

What I have found helpful in deciding what to invest time in reading is knowing who the author/creator of the story is. There are authors I read everything I can get my hands on by them. There are books I have read more than once. Some writers though, I've read one of their works, or sometimes only a portion, and know, "nah, I'm good", and I'll take a pass on anything else they put out. 

I know this about people: Jesus is the creator/author of life. Every single person is the work of His hands. Our covers and stories are all different, but our worth is based on our relationship to the Creator, not on what we look or sound like. It's what's on the inside that matters and I am willing dive in and get to know each "story" He sends my way.

"He (Jesus) is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by Him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through Him and for Him." Colossians 1:15-16

1 Samuel 16:7 "But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or at the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for God sees not as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”