Why Did This 106-Year-Old Woman Dance in the White House?

Have you seen the video of 106-year-old Virginia McLaurin dancing with joy when her dream of visiting the White House came true?

Mrs. McLaurin met President and Mrs. Obama as part of the administration’s Black History Month commemorations.

Here’s the video:

To be clear, I have strong objections to many of President Obama’s policies. It’s clear that we have a very different worldview on the most important issues of the day including, but not limited to, life, marriage and religious freedom.

But those differences notwithstanding, Mrs. McLaurin’s enthusiasm is easy to understand.

Just think about it: when she was born in 1909, the country wasn’t even 50 years removed from the Emancipation Proclamation. Her grandparents’ generation was born into a country with legalized slavery. And yet her grandchildren now live in a nation where they can aspire to the presidency.

Mrs. McLaurin’s life reminds us that while our country has always been diverse, it hasn’t always been inclusive. And despite the fact that as a nation we’ve overcome many of the sinful attitudes and ideas that kept the United States segregated for generations, there is still room for improvement.

This gives us as Christians a wonderful opportunity to lead our communities by thinking and behaving biblically as we relate with our neighbors and speak into the culture.

It’s in this spirit that Focus recently launched a diversity and inclusion council that will help ensure the ministry reflects the diversity of God’s Kingdom while united in His purpose and calling. Our Employee Resource Inclusion Council is made up of six men and six women of different races, ethnicities and life experiences. They regularly meet to evaluate how our ministry is addressing issues of diversity and make recommendations to help guarantee the resources and content we create address the needs of the wide array of families we serve.

Before I sign off, I want to take a moment and recognize Black History Month. I thank God for the rich faith legacy of many of my African-American brothers and sisters. As we pause to acknowledge the contributions of so many dedicated and talented black men and women, I am reminded of the Apostle Paul’s declaration that “there is one body and one Spirit … one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all” (Ephesians 4:4-6).