A lot of people prefer to say, that they are “color-blind.” They claim that they don’t see the skin color of the strangers they pass by daily or the life partners they choose forever.

I see a MAJOR problem with this and here’s why.

Love transcends color, but it does not turn a blind eye to it.

If you love a person for all that they are, then that means that you have chosen to love the physical, spiritual and emotional components of them. You noticed their race, culture and ethnicity when you evaluated them wholly – and it’s okay to admit that.

Imagine for a second that you have adopted a child of a different race than you, but you’ve chosen to “not see color.” What would you do when racial injustice cases become more prevalent in your town? If you aren’t acknowledging the obvious differences and subsequent challenges that your child may face, then how would you be able to properly support and care for your kid?

Oftentimes, people use the verse Galatians 3:28, which says, “There is neither Jew nor Gentile… for you are all one in Christ Jesus,” to claim that race and ethnicity do not matter, at least as it pertains to “the kingdom of God.” Although that scripture emphasizes the importance of us all being connected in spirit, it also acknowledges that in this world, those distinctions do, in fact, exist. What’s on the inside of you is the most important thing; however, your body and spirit work together to get your moving day by day. Therefore, we have to address both to properly function on this earth.

God said that each person is “fearfully and wonderfully made.” He knew every detail of our lives before we even entered this world. He knows how many hairs are on our head. Why? Because he loves us and created us. Nothing gets past Him and He won’t ignore even a single part of His creation, especially if it affects the way some of His people are treated. He is the potter and we are the clay, which means every part of our being is designed carefully, lovingly and with a purpose, including the color of our skin. What kind of Father would God be, if He didn’t acknowledge the skin of His child that He was holding? What kind of artist would He be if He wasn’t intimately involved in each detailed stroke of his masterpiece? And if our body suits weren’t important, then what was the importance of Jesus becoming a man of color? (Yes. Jesus most likely had a little extra melanin, a somewhat brown skin tone. But do your own research. I digress…)

As Trevor Noah from “The Daily Show,” so eloquently put it in a recent interview, if you don’t see color then, “What do you at a stop light?” All this to say, it’s okay to acknowledge skin color. Sure, you can look deeper to what’s on the inside of the person, but if you really love someone (or honestly just want to be a decent person), then you cannot ignore a whole portion of their being, especially when it’s staring you straight in the face.

This world is so beautifully diverse and colorful. It was meant to be that way. However, one cannot even use the word “diverse,” if they don’t first acknowledge that there are different colors, races and ethnicities needed to constitute diversity. Furthermore, don’t confuse racial diversity with racial reconciliation. Racial diversity only provides you with the platform to initiate reconciliation. It’s up to you what you do with it.

So let’s embrace our colors, shades, races and all that jazz. God sure does and that’s a fact.