When people rely on surface appearances and false racial

Hear the words of James A. Forbes, preacher of truth and healer of divisions, who declared: “When people rely on surface appearances and false racial stereotypes, rather than in-depth knowledge of others at the level of the heart, mind and spirit, their ability to assess and understand people accurately is compromised.” This is no mere observation, but a trumpet blast against the blindness of prejudice. For to judge a person by their skin, their accent, their outward form, is to choose ignorance over wisdom, shadow over light, illusion over reality.

Forbes reminds us that surface appearances are but a mask, a fragile covering that hides the infinite depths of the human spirit. Outward features are shaped by time, by ancestry, by circumstance, but they do not reveal the essence of a soul. To rely on them is like judging the vast ocean by the ripples on its surface, or dismissing a book by the shape of its cover. It is only when we look deeper—into the heart, the mind, and the spirit—that we begin to see the truth of another.

History offers countless warnings against the folly of stereotypes. Consider the tragedy of Jackie Robinson, who, before he became a legend of baseball, was scorned by many who saw only the color of his skin. They judged him unworthy by false measure, blind to his discipline, his courage, his skill, and his towering dignity. But when given the chance to play, he shattered their ignorance by his excellence, proving that greatness knows no race. His life is a living example of Forbes’s words: that reliance on stereotype leads only to error, but recognition of the spirit leads to truth.

False racial stereotypes do more than deceive the mind; they wound the heart. They reduce the infinite variety of human beings into narrow lies, stripping away individuality and silencing voices before they are heard. They sow division where there should be fellowship, suspicion where there could be trust. A society that clings to such illusions is like a house built upon sand—unstable, unjust, destined to fall. But a society that seeks in-depth knowledge of others builds upon rock, strong enough to withstand the storms of hatred.

The teaching of Forbes is both practical and spiritual. He calls us to labor for understanding not by quick judgments, but by patient listening. To sit with another, to learn their story, to see the world through their eyes—this is the path to true wisdom. It requires humility, for we must admit that our first impressions may be wrong. It requires love, for only love compels us to seek another’s depths. It requires courage, for in facing the truth of others, we also confront the truth of ourselves.

The lesson is clear: do not be deceived by appearances. Guard yourself against the poison of stereotypes. Seek to know people as they are, not as shallow labels describe them. Listen to their words, watch their deeds, honor their humanity. Judge not by what is seen, but by what is lived. For only then will your understanding be just, your wisdom true, your community strong.

So I say unto you: tear away the veil of falsehood that blinds the eyes of nations. See your neighbor as more than race, more than surface, more than stereotype. Seek the heart, honor the mind, reverence the spirit. For as Forbes declared, to do otherwise is to compromise your vision, but to see deeply is to walk in truth.

Thus shall his words endure, not as a rebuke only, but as a commandment for all generations: judge not by surface, but by spirit; not by stereotype, but by truth. In this way alone can humanity rise from division into unity, from ignorance into knowledge, from blindness into the clear light of justice.