Safe on His gentle breast,
There by His love o'ershaded,
Sweetly my soul shall rest."

It was sung with all the fervor of the negro race. As it proceeded a
strange thought struck me: How could negroes find rest on the bosom of
One quite another color? It was a natural thought, for the color
prejudice is strong. Even when we think of Christ, we instinctively
think of Him as a white man. How, then, could these worshippers find
rest on His bosom, and in His arms? If He had been a negro, they might
do so; but how could they do such a thing when they realized that He was
of a different color from themselves?

Then suddenly, a solution same to my mind. If Christ was not black,
neither was He white. In fact He was brown; about midway between white
and black. So in color He was as near to the negroes as to the white
race. Therefore the negroes can recline on His breast, and in His arms,
as naturally as we. That seemed to me a very happy idea; perhaps even a
revelation.

But then, another thought quickly followed. What if Christ took this
central place, even as to color, of set purpose? He could thus appeal
more directly to the whole human race, and thus more effectively draw
all men to Himself. Therefore I hazard the conjecture that one reason
why He chose to come of the Jewish race was, that he might be, even as
to color, the central attraction of the world. Oh yes; if we only widen
the horizon of our thought and our affection, we shall see that the
great scheme of redemption is co-extensive with the race, and reaches
forward into the eternities.