It’s hard to find a good black and white TV anymore.
When they first came out in 1936 and were commercially sold, it was the hottest craze. The black and white TV was the fastest growing invention that entered American homes in history, with half of all homes having one by 1955. By 1990, every major retailer was not selling them. By the early 2000s, no one was producing them.
What happened to destroy the market? The invention of the color TV.
On March 25, 1954, RCA sold its first 12-inch color TV — and the rest is history. It sold for $1,000, which is more than $10,000 of buying power in today’s dollars. The last black and white normal broadcast was in 1968.
Humanity is wired when given the choice to view the world in color. The desire for diversity is implanted in us by our Creator. He is a God of diversity.
In Genesis, He created a dynamic world full of color and rich in diversity, from planets to plants to animals to man. No fingerprint is alike.
In John, Jesus prays for His believers, regardless of their culture or background, to be one. His death and resurrection brought unity in diversity.
In Ephesians, God’s wisdom is considered multi-faceted — or, in the original connotation, multi-colored. Humanity, which is restored by the gospel, has no other choice but to see color. The Trinity is a picture of rich diversity and unity wrapped up into one.
I am so thankful for churches like Radiant Church in Charleston and Spring Valley Baptist Church in Columbia, which are becoming multi-colored. Radiant, including their staff, looks like the demographic of their community, and black and white believers are worshipping together. Foreign-born people who make up 250,000 South Carolinians today are worshipping alongside white and black believers at Spring Valley.
It’s time for 11 a.m. to no longer be the most segregated time in South Carolina. Throw away the black and white TV. Let’s worship in color.