Race has been a big issue lately. By "lately" I could mean the last few years, the last few decades, or even the last few centuries. Let's be honest--it's been a big deal for most of the history of mankind. Sinful men love to hate and kill each other, and race is low-hanging fruit, that is, it's an easy excuse to hate your fellow man.
More specifically, race has been in the news and on social media for the past few days because of the macabre anniversary that fell on April 4th of this year--the 50-year anniversary of the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr. People have chosen to commemorate it in many ways, celebrating his life and using it as a time of reflection. See my thoughts on that here. As I said there, racism is an issue and we need to work on that.
However, the remedies being offered for this racial unrest are often insufficient, or, even worse, self-defeating. Some people, mostly trendy white folk, think that sharing a hot post on Facebook is enough to overcome this racial division. Cue the fire emojis! Others are calling for more concrete measures to be taken, steps like filling positions of leadership with people "of color" or even monetarily compensating minorities. The common issue with most of these options is that race remains in the foreground. Any attempt to solve racial division by promoting racial division is bound to fail, no matter how well-intentioned.
I know, I know...I am white, so I'm out of my depth. You're right. It's easy for me to sit here and say that color shouldn't matter because I have never experienced the type of racial profiling that a person of color or foreign descent might, but we all, even the whitest among us (of which I am the whitest), know that for many people the color of a man's skin is still a big deal. People are still profiled, and even killed, because of the color of their skin. You don't have to be black to know that, even if you may not be able to understand it fully. I can sympathize with the racially-profiled man, even if I am unable to empathize with him. This racism is a grievous sin that has been a hallmark of humanity for thousands of years. Nevertheless, if you want to get our society to a place where color really doesn't matter, your path to getting there must not be predicated on color. You can't fix the problem with the problem.
For example, the NFL insisting that teams interview at least one minority coach for a vacancy is counterproductive. Why? The emphasis is still on the coach's race and not his competency. When a team clearly already knows whom they want to hire, it's insulting to waste a man's time going through the motions. Take another example. An old pastor is looking to retire and a committee is being formed to find his replacement. There are those who are saying that traditionally-white churches should make it a point to try to find black pastors to replace retiring white pastors. Once again, the emphasis is being placed on a man's color and not his qualifications. Has God called called him? Are his preaching and life faithful to God's Word? If so, the color of his skin, whether black or white, should be irrelevant.
You know, color is a funny thing. I never really thought of myself as anything but a white guy. Family stories told us that we had some Native American in us, but that was about it. A few years ago I discovered that my heritage on my mother's side was a little more ambiguous than that. After doing as much research as I possibly could, I realized there really is no way to know our true origins. Guess what else I discovered. I found out that it really doesn't matter. I am proud of my heritage, whether I have European, African, or Native American blood (or, more likely, all three) in me. The most powerful part of that journey was that I discovered just how silly the idea of "color" really is. Not only is the color of a man's skin a relatively-insignificant genetic marker, but color is most certainly not a black/white dichotomy--it is a spectrum with a seemingly-infinite number of permutations. It is simply ridiculous to dislike or mistreat another human being because of the color of his/her skin.
No matter how silly it might be, however, racism is still a problem. Color does still matter to many people. The only solution that can actually overcome this racial division is the Gospel, properly preached and consistently practiced. Mankind is not inherently good, seeking to love and bless his fellow man. No, he is inherently evil, looking for reasons to hate and suppress his fellow man, especially those who are not exactly like him. It does not lie within the power of man to solve racism; only the God-Man has that power! In Galatians 3:28 Paul tells us that one of the effects of the Gospel is that racial distinctions no longer matter because we are all one in Christ. In Ephesians 2 he goes so far as to say that God is making of all races one Temple of the Holy Spirit. This transcendent unity is the key to healing the wounds of racial segregation. This mutual indwelling is the answer to the unsolvable riddle of racial distrust. Nothing that man has to offer, no carnal connection, can lead to racial unity. Our first creation ought to connect us, but the Fall divided us. We must be reunited by the New Creation. The Gospel, and it alone, can provide the basis to overcome fallen mankind's hatred for one another. Racism is just one of the many symptoms of this greater sickness that must be healed by the Gospel.
P.S. I found this article to be quite powerful and highly recommend it. Though it was not the direct inspiration for my post, I'm sure it inspired some of the content found herein.
More specifically, race has been in the news and on social media for the past few days because of the macabre anniversary that fell on April 4th of this year--the 50-year anniversary of the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr. People have chosen to commemorate it in many ways, celebrating his life and using it as a time of reflection. See my thoughts on that here. As I said there, racism is an issue and we need to work on that.
However, the remedies being offered for this racial unrest are often insufficient, or, even worse, self-defeating. Some people, mostly trendy white folk, think that sharing a hot post on Facebook is enough to overcome this racial division. Cue the fire emojis! Others are calling for more concrete measures to be taken, steps like filling positions of leadership with people "of color" or even monetarily compensating minorities. The common issue with most of these options is that race remains in the foreground. Any attempt to solve racial division by promoting racial division is bound to fail, no matter how well-intentioned.
I know, I know...I am white, so I'm out of my depth. You're right. It's easy for me to sit here and say that color shouldn't matter because I have never experienced the type of racial profiling that a person of color or foreign descent might, but we all, even the whitest among us (of which I am the whitest), know that for many people the color of a man's skin is still a big deal. People are still profiled, and even killed, because of the color of their skin. You don't have to be black to know that, even if you may not be able to understand it fully. I can sympathize with the racially-profiled man, even if I am unable to empathize with him. This racism is a grievous sin that has been a hallmark of humanity for thousands of years. Nevertheless, if you want to get our society to a place where color really doesn't matter, your path to getting there must not be predicated on color. You can't fix the problem with the problem.
For example, the NFL insisting that teams interview at least one minority coach for a vacancy is counterproductive. Why? The emphasis is still on the coach's race and not his competency. When a team clearly already knows whom they want to hire, it's insulting to waste a man's time going through the motions. Take another example. An old pastor is looking to retire and a committee is being formed to find his replacement. There are those who are saying that traditionally-white churches should make it a point to try to find black pastors to replace retiring white pastors. Once again, the emphasis is being placed on a man's color and not his qualifications. Has God called called him? Are his preaching and life faithful to God's Word? If so, the color of his skin, whether black or white, should be irrelevant.
You know, color is a funny thing. I never really thought of myself as anything but a white guy. Family stories told us that we had some Native American in us, but that was about it. A few years ago I discovered that my heritage on my mother's side was a little more ambiguous than that. After doing as much research as I possibly could, I realized there really is no way to know our true origins. Guess what else I discovered. I found out that it really doesn't matter. I am proud of my heritage, whether I have European, African, or Native American blood (or, more likely, all three) in me. The most powerful part of that journey was that I discovered just how silly the idea of "color" really is. Not only is the color of a man's skin a relatively-insignificant genetic marker, but color is most certainly not a black/white dichotomy--it is a spectrum with a seemingly-infinite number of permutations. It is simply ridiculous to dislike or mistreat another human being because of the color of his/her skin.
No matter how silly it might be, however, racism is still a problem. Color does still matter to many people. The only solution that can actually overcome this racial division is the Gospel, properly preached and consistently practiced. Mankind is not inherently good, seeking to love and bless his fellow man. No, he is inherently evil, looking for reasons to hate and suppress his fellow man, especially those who are not exactly like him. It does not lie within the power of man to solve racism; only the God-Man has that power! In Galatians 3:28 Paul tells us that one of the effects of the Gospel is that racial distinctions no longer matter because we are all one in Christ. In Ephesians 2 he goes so far as to say that God is making of all races one Temple of the Holy Spirit. This transcendent unity is the key to healing the wounds of racial segregation. This mutual indwelling is the answer to the unsolvable riddle of racial distrust. Nothing that man has to offer, no carnal connection, can lead to racial unity. Our first creation ought to connect us, but the Fall divided us. We must be reunited by the New Creation. The Gospel, and it alone, can provide the basis to overcome fallen mankind's hatred for one another. Racism is just one of the many symptoms of this greater sickness that must be healed by the Gospel.
P.S. I found this article to be quite powerful and highly recommend it. Though it was not the direct inspiration for my post, I'm sure it inspired some of the content found herein.
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