The Sin of Racism
I personally believe that racism is a scourge and one of the most vilest of sins. It exists in and out of the church and it in no way reflects the character and heart of Almighty God. At its core are two interrelated sins, pride and fear, that mesh together to come forth as racism. I have always had a tender heart for those who suffer at the hands of this vicious sin and when I became a Christian I thought that I would never again see racism exhibited among my brothers and sisters. I was wrong.
I remember the first time I heard a preacher regurgitate a tortured “God set up borders” view of dividing the races. I went home and again searched the New Testament and saw nothing and in reality the exact opposite. I saw a little black boy get saved in a predominantly white Baptist church and I listened as the “pastor” expressed joy in his conversion and at the same time directed him to find a black church in which to worship. What an incredible misrepresentation of all the Christ stood for and taught.
I once heard a “preacher” use the “n” word in the pulpit and hide behind some self serving definition that he claims can apply to any person of any race. Hidden and nuanced references to other races, especially blacks, are common place in evangelical circles. And even among those who reject any overt racism there is still that pesky marriage thing. Tucked into our “pristine” evangelical community lurks a genuine racism that we love to hide if not actually justify. That is the mindset set that we would never approve of our white daughters marrying a black man. Oh yes, we claim they will have trouble with cultural acceptance and other excuses, but in the end there is something inside us that resists that type of inter-marriage.
Let us be honest, deep inside us, nurtured by years of cultural object lessons and the unspoken/spoken words of our parents and leaders, lives a form of racism. It is unchristian and has its roots deeply embedded in secular society and not in Christ. The Scriptures mandate only one commandment when it comes to marriage and that is that both must be believers. There is no social, economic, or racial requirements for a man and woman to be married if they are believers and followers of Jesus Christ.
And do not be deceived into thinking that racism is a white sin, it is not. You will find it alive and well in every race and even within the nuances of each race about each other. It is a horrible sin that dishonors God and causes much pain in adults and especially children. How many times has a child run to his home with tears running down his cheeks, revealing the pain he is feeling after being called a racial epithet? This sin should be preached against more fully and with more vigor in our churches. The reason it is touched on so infrequently and carefully when it is mentioned is because preachers are aware that racism exists in his pews and he is unwilling to completely upset the apple cart. Worse yet, he himself may not yet have repented of his own secret racism.
Of course the most obvious form of racism in America has existed within the white community toward the black. Oh I know the reverse exists as well, but the white community has been the most egregious offenders. And many times the church was complicit and still today many get nervous over integrated youth groups. I believe the rise and integration of the black community into mainstream society after the Civil War has been one of the most amazing events in America. Think on it, these people were freed and set out with nothing. Where would you go if tomorrow you had nothing? And even if you had nothing, where would you go if your were hated by most of society and at best looked down upon? You had no well off relatives and almost no one desired to lend you and your family a hand. For the most part, that is how the black community began their entrance into American society.
Blacks were murdered and abused, they were treated as castaways, and many whites believed and taught a intellectual inferiority when it came to the black race. In all reality, it wasn’t until the 1960s that black people were encouraged/allowed to vote on any major level. Segregation still existed in the south, and employment segregation still existed everywhere. I stand in amazement and admiration for what the black community has accomplished in a hostile society and I firmly believe that God answered many prayers of the old “negro” believers who enviously had nothing but God. To see an eloquent black man have a legitimate place as a contender for the Presidency of the United States is breathtaking. Regardless of his political views, his candidacy is inspiring to me (even as one who doesn’t vote) because it speaks of so much more than politics. I see progress and I see an achievement against all odds that should please us all.
And is it not even more unique that this candidate’s father was African and his mother was white. I love it when providence takes our sinful noses and pushed them down deep into something. And yes, I truly believe that the influence of Christ’s Spirit through His church, sometimes kicking and screaming, had something to do with this entrance of the black race into mainstream American society. And Obama’s pastor is in bondage himself to racism and when white people hear his caustic and hate laced words the dormant racism begins to rise up anew. The devil’s strategy is multi-pronged.
And so examine your own heart and see if you have allowed racism or prejudice in any form to live. We must, as Christ’s epistles, repent of that sin and view the world as does God as both His church and lost sinners for who Christ died. There is no middle ground, racism is a grievous sin.
Of course I will not vote for Barak Obama, not because he’s black, but because he’s a politician. Grace to all.
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