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by Aaron Felty

This will be my final post on race in the series regarding our Christ-like responses to the “race” issue.

Here is a statement that parallels this conversation. The 2nd amendment gives all citizens of our country the right to bear arms. Many people argue that we need gun laws to reduce gun crimes. They say that guns in and of themselves are inherently evil, and that while they require a person to operate them, guns allow more carnage and therefore need to be restricted. My contention is that the issue is not about guns, it is about sin! No amount of government legislation will reduce the amount of sin in our country; only the saving work of Jesus Christ can do that.

I believe our use of the “isms” is a way to put our finger on the underlying cause, to give the ills of the day specific names. The rampant sexual harassment and poor treatment of women by our male politicians and entertainers is called sexism. When someone says we ought to restrict people from countries that sponsor terrorism, it is called xenophobism. If you believe in a traditional definition of marriage, it is called homophobism. Finally, if a person of a different skin color or ethnic background is or feels slighted, it is called racism. I am not suggesting the terms be abandoned, only that we miss the underlying cause and fail to actually treat the problem: sin!

The heart of the matter is sin. If someone thinks they are better or above anyone else because of their gender, immigration status, sexuality, or skin color, they have a sin problem. It is the sin of pride and idolatry. These types of sin put the individual in the place of God. Genesis 3:5 says that the serpent tempted Eve with being like God, determining what is good and evil, when she ate from that forbidden tree.

All these “isms” have sin on one or both sides. Sexism can be declared if there is legitimate reasoning, or if someone simply “feels” slighted by a person of the other gender. This could be sin on both sides. The exact same could be said for xenophobism, homophobism, and racism. Someone may be legitimately mistreating another because of their citizenship, sexual orientation, or skin color, or a person can “feel” like they have been slighted when in reality it is simply their own pride. Just because someone looks at me funny it does not mean they are a racist. However, someone can look at me pleasantly and harbor sinful attitudes in their heart and I never know. So, the real issue is sin, not the “isms.”

When people speak of racism, I believe they are really attempting to define their own experiences, feelings, and intuitions. Instead of saying it is sinful to mistreat someone differently because of their skin color, we just say, “You’re a racist!” or “That’s racism!” Like it or not, the experience of black people in America has always been shrouded with feelings of being treated as less than others. Some move through it better than others, but I have never met one black person who has not at one time or another been mistreated simply because of their skin color. I am not saying everyone has been mistreated, simply that I have not met anyone who hasn’t. Also, I know everyone has difficulties. The difference is many of the things we are mistreated about can be changed, but it is not easy to change one’s skin color. The sooner we come to grips with that, the sooner we can reconcile and walk freely and equally as God intended.

How do we overcome the sin of “racism”? We must extend grace and mercy. Truly seek to understand where the other person is coming from. Give them an underserved gift, the gift of listening with the desire to understand. Furthermore, when someone wrongs us or mistreats us because of our skin color, we do not repay them what they deserve. If you are black and someone is harsh, you can respond by walking away, confronting the sin gracefully, communicating how that statement affected you, or many other ways. If you are white and you hear harsh racial comments, take a stand and call out the sin. Do not laugh at racist jokes. Grace and mercy does not mean to become a doormat; on the contrary, it means standing up in strength but doing so in a way that honors Christ. Read how Jesus responded on the cross: “Father forgive them for they know not what they do.” Of course, on the surface people know what they are doing, but at a deeper level they do not. Jesus is the model for grace and mercy, giving an underserved gift and withholding deserved punishment.

Another statement about the sin of racism is we have to move past being easily offended. As black people, it is idolatry to find racism in everything or even many things. The truth is, many people are not racist. We have created an idol out of being black. I have actually heard people say, “I am black first.” For me that is not even top 10. I am a child of God, enemy of the devil, part of a holy family and a royal priesthood, brother of Christ, husband, father, son, brother, uncle, cousin, and nephew who happens to be half black. As white people, it is ignorance, insensitivity, and a lack of care that causes you to not see the pain of black people as it relates to racism. It is just lazy to think it no longer exists and people should just get over it. It is prideful to think you know better than someone who actually lives in this world as a black person.

We ought to acknowledge every person’s feelings, even if we disagree. We could say, “So it sounds to me like you feel slighted or mistreated, is that so?” By acknowledging, we are not agreeing or condoning, just demonstrating love. Then, we should be slow to speak and slow to become angry.

Finally, at some point we have to walk by faith, not by sight. We must trust that in the end God will deal with all the injustice and maybe, just maybe, He is calling us to be a part of that reconciliation process now. In prayer, we should go to God and ask Him to reveal any unclean way about us, to remove it, and to replace it with the fruit of His Spirit. Racism is a sin and sin can be avoided. It’s well past time we avoided this one!

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