Given the state of America today and the claims of racism throughout the country I thought we should take a look at it. Am I a racist? I have been told by some that if you are asking yourself that question you are probably not one. Is racism confined to only majority groups over minority groups or can it go both ways? When you see a person from another race, do you immediately think of them in a negative or suspicious way? When you look at another person of a different race do you think of them as someone less than yourself? If you last answered the last question yes then you are probably a racist. Why does racism destroy hope? Who does it destroy hope for the one who is being undervalued or the one who is undervaluing? I would say both. Let us look at what I have learned about racism.
So we are talking about the same thing I thought we should define what racism is Merriam Webster Dictionary Definition of racism as, “1: a belief that race is a fundamental determinant of human traits and capacities and that racial differences produce an inherent superiority of a particular race. behavior or attitudes that reflect and foster this belief: racial discrimination or prejudice. 2a: the systemic oppression of a racial group to the social, economic, and political advantage of another. b: a political or social system founded on racism and designed to execute its principles.” There is a constant outcry amongst some that there is extreme racism occurring all around this country, most notably amongst the police particularly in major cities. They use statistics to show that that is true. They say that since a greater percentage of incidences occurred with a minority group than the percentage of the population this must be caused by racism among the police department. There is no consideration that one racial group might commit crimes more often than another racial group. I am not saying that it is necessarily true but the idea that it is true is completely dismissed as an impossibility. Since we do not know who committed each and every crime because many are unsolved, we cannot be definitive with our conclusions about crime rates among different racial groups.
I know that racism exist. I was leading a men’s Bible study with a group of African American men in a church near my home. One of the passages lead us to talk about racism. One of the members of the group who was an executive for a major corporation in Minneapolis, told a story about walking down the street, in business casual attire, in the middle of the block and hearing electronic door locks in a car passing by being used. There was no other logical reason in his mind to all of a sudden for the driver to lock the doors except that he was walking by at the time. I would have to agree. Have you ever done that type of thing?
I wanted to bring God’s Word into this discussion as usual. The first thing I learned is that all of came from Adam therefore we are all equal in the sight of the God. Acts 17:26-27 says, “And he made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place, that they should seek God, and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him.” (ESV)
I asked the question, are the Jews a race or religion? It would appear that, as a matter of law and custom in the United States and Israel, they are both. Which leads me to better understand that we are all equal. “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” Galatians 3:28 (ESV) It is clear that my obligation to others is to consider them to be of more value than myself. If I do that it would certainly exclude racist attitudes according to Philippians 2:3-4 says, “Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.” (ESV) I have also learned that I am unable to eliminate racism in anyone other than myself.
My hope is built on Jesus Christ alone. I believe that when I act contrary to the way that Jesus wants me to live. I destroy hope in me and in those who I interact with on any given day contrary to the way Jesus wants me to act.
Join me in eliminating racism in our lives. Knowing that Jesus wants us to consider others and their needs to be more significant than myself or my needs. Join me in demonstrating our love for others including those that might outwardly appear to be different but inwardly are the same. The Holy Spirit is the only one that can help us live racist free. He comes to us when we accept Jesus. Understanding that the hope you have is because of the death of Jesus Christ on the cross satisfying the penalty for sins. His payment satisfies all my sins from the past, in the present and in the future. My penalty and yours was satisfied on the cross by the death of Jesus, God’s greatest act of love and wrath, who became sin for me and you. It was also God’s greatest act of faithfulness because “God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8 (ESV) Because holiness shows us, we need to believe in Jesus. I hope that you join me in helping others to choose Jesus.
If you have not read my previous blogs, you can find them here.
You can find my book, Hope Amid Hopelessness: Our Abba Father Provides a Way Through Mental Illness here.
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