We know the power of having one letter out of place. Such mistakes can elicit humor or great pain since the addition or subtraction of a single letter can radically change the meaning of a word, sentence or even a community.

On Sunday, the Rev. Neddie Winters delivered a sermon on the subject as part of a Black History Month celebration at a local church.

Winters message could be boiled down to one simple thing — add a “G” to your life.

The “G” added before the word “race” can make all the difference in the world.

Race permeates our world and often becomes the lowest common denominator in many discussions of important topics such as schools, government, religion and crime.

Winters’ Christian message was simple: God commands Christians to treat all people with grace and love — regardless of skin color, ethnic background, economic means or any other human measurement with which we use to discriminate.

That message should ring true to all of us, regardless of whether we’re black, white, Christian or non-Christian.

Perhaps the biggest impediment to truly adding the “G” isn’t as much about breaking hard core racist beliefs, but rather a matter of simply breaking our own inertia. Most residents are not intentionally racist, but tend to simply not focus on finding ways to learn more about people unlike themselves.

Unlike typos, changing how we communicate and treat one another does not happen by mistake. It can occur only when someone intentionally seeks to make it happen.

Are you willing to make a difference, by adding a “G” to your life?