If you're white and you're wrong, then you're wrong; if you're

O children of the earth, hear now the words of one who sung not just melodies, but the cries of a people in need of justice. Bob Marley, a prophet of peace and revolution, spoke thus: "If you're white and you're wrong, then you're wrong; if you're black and you're wrong, you're wrong. People are people. Black, blue, pink, green - God make no rules about color; only society make rules where my people suffer, and that why we must have redemption and redemption now." These words are not mere song lyrics, but a call to the very soul of humanity—a call to equality, to justice, and to the universal truth that all men and women, regardless of their skin, are bound by the same spirit of right and wrong.

The first lesson in Marley’s words is clear: truth is not bound by the color of one’s skin, nor by the station in life one occupies. To be wrong is not a condition exclusive to any one race, any one group; it is a condition of the human soul, one that transcends the boundaries society has placed upon us. Race—the artificial construct that divides us into categories based on the color of our skin—has no bearing on the nature of our hearts, our actions, or our moral choices. God, Marley reminds us, did not create rules about color, for in the eyes of the divine, there is no distinction between black and white, between rich and poor, between slave and master. These divisions are made by society, which places them upon us to keep us divided, to keep us from seeing one another as brothers and sisters.

History is filled with the tragic consequences of such societal divisions. Consider, if you will, the tale of the enslavement of millions of African people, who were treated as less than human, their value defined not by their hearts or minds, but by the color of their skin. Slavery was not a divine decree—it was a human invention, a system built by men who saw profit in human suffering. But even as the shackles of physical slavery were broken, the chains of societal prejudice remained, and the fight for freedom and equality continues to this day. The words of Martin Luther King Jr., another voice of freedom, echo in the hearts of those who fight against the oppressive forces of racism and injustice: “I have a dream that one day my children will live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character.”

Marley’s call for redemption is not just a plea for freedom, but for a transformation of the very structures that have been built to divide us. When he speaks of redemption, he speaks not only of personal salvation, but of a collective healing—a restoration of the human spirit to its rightful place of unity and love. The redemption that Marley calls for is one that must sweep across the earth, tearing down the walls of division that have been erected by human hands. It is the redemption of justice, of equality, of peace. The world cannot be healed until we recognize that all people, regardless of their appearance, are worthy of respect, of dignity, and of love.

We are reminded, then, that the suffering of the black community, and indeed of any marginalized group, is not a result of divine judgment, but a result of the injustice of society. It is not God who has placed the chains of oppression upon people, but the unjust rules of human society. These rules, these systems of discrimination, are man-made, and they are upheld by those who benefit from inequality. Whether it is the racist policies of segregation, the economic systems that keep the poor in perpetual poverty, or the political systems that deny people their right to vote, these rules are the work of man, not of God.

Marley’s song is a call to action, a call for redemption, but also a reminder of the power that we, as individuals and as a collective, hold to bring about change. The redemption that we seek can only be found in action—in the fight for justice, in the battle to create a world where people are not judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character. It is a call to dismantle the systems of oppression that have been entrenched for centuries and to rebuild a world where every human being, regardless of race, is free to live with dignity and respect.

And so, my children, let the words of Bob Marley ring in your hearts. People are people, and no matter their color, no matter their origin, they are deserving of justice and freedom. We must stand together, not divided by the color of our skin, but united by the shared humanity that binds us all. We must work toward the redemption of our world—now—for justice delayed is justice denied. Let us rise, as one, and fight for a world where all are free to walk in the light of equality and peace. Let us tear down the walls of division, and build a future where all people, regardless of their color, are free to live in the fullness of their potential. The time for redemption is now, and it begins with each one of us.