By Howard Coop

For me, Feb. 12, 1960, was an unforgettable day.

That Friday morning, I rose early with high hopes. For several weeks, I had made plans for that weekend.

I was scheduled to go to Louisa, Ky., to participate in a youth meeting for the Ashland District of our church that was scheduled for that evening and the next morning. But when I looked out, I realized that was not to be, for there was no way to go anywhere.

During the night, Kentucky had been blanketed with at least eight inches of snow. As a result, traffic was stopped, and every road in central Kentucky was essentially closed.

Employees of the highway department were working frantically to get them open so traffic could move.

But that’s not all. For the next three Friday mornings — Feb. 19, Feb. 26 and March 3 — we arose to find at least eight more inches of new snow.

Now, that’s a lot of snow — at least twenty-four inches — and several zillion (an uncountable number) of snowflakes. And in earlier years in science classes, I had always been told, “no two snowflakes are exactly alike.” To be sure, they are similar but in some little way, they are different.

The Census Bureau of the United States estimated that on March 12, 2012, the population of the world reached 7 billion, and by 2017, the World Clock indicated that it had reached 7.5 billion.

Now, that’s a lot of people on planet earth. Like the snowflakes, each individual — while there may be similarities — is in some way different from all others.

We are alike but not alike.

In the human race, sameness does not exist, for no two individuals are identical. But in spite of differences, whatever they are, human beings must live together, and that has not always been easy.

There is a simple way.

For almost two thousand years it has been axiomatic “accept one another.” That is limitless; it crosses all boundaries and transcends all differences.

When that actually occurs, we can live together peacefully.

Howard Coop is a retired minister, author and religion columnist that contributes regularly to The Jessamine Journal. He can be reached at howardcooop@ kudu4u.com.