In His Image: Decoding Race and Injustice from a Christian Perspective
Review from July 1, 2020

Wednesday, July 8, 2020

Comprehend

In order to fully comprehend God’s will regarding diversity and how His children ought to treat one another, we must habitually reject the world’s lies about race and identity. That means identifying and dismissing the following myths, among others:

 

Myth 1—Christians are called to be colorblind.

            Truth: Racism is a sin, but racial/ethnic diversity, which God created, is not.

 

Myth 2—Racism only impacts some people, in some places.

Truth: Racism is a system that impacts everyone, but everyone is not impacted in the same way.

 

Myth 3—White people are evil because they have white privilege.

Truth: White privilege is inherited, not earned. So, one is not responsible for simply having privilege, but can only be held accountable for what one does with their privilege.

 

Myth 4—God privileges some races, nations, or genders over others.

Truth: There is a difference between favor (from God) and privilege (invented by humans). Privilege is not of God; it is outside of His design for humanity.

 

Myth 5—God is not concerned with oppression and systemic injustice on earth.

Truth: Multiple forms of privilege and oppression can be found in the Bible. The Bible directly condemns privilege and presents Christ as the great equalizer.

 

Acknowledge and Reflect

Repeated exposure to racial terror tends to produce one of the following responses: rage, helplessness and inaction, or temporary action before retracting. The first step in the Christian’s response to racism and injustice is a heart check—to acknowledge God’s truth and the earthly reality and to reflect on where we stand in relation to both.

References: Psalm 139: 23-24 [AMP]; Ephesians 4:26-27 [MSG]; Proverbs 29:11 [NIV]

 

Heal

Racial trauma, or race-based stress, is a reality in a society where systemic racism and hateful acts abound. We must heal from the trauma and establish the appropriate lifestyle practices to maintain wellness before we can begin fighting for justice in the public sphere.

 

Key Points

  • Anger is not a sin, but if left unmanaged it can lead to sinful acts.
  • The first step in the Christian’s response to racism and injustice is a heart check.
  • Deep, internal work must precede public work in order for lasting change to occur.