It’s not Skin, It’s Sin
Recently, Americans were reminded of how divided we are becoming, particularly along racial and ethnic lines. The unfortunate event that occurred this past summer in Boston involving Professor Henry Gates and Police Officer James Crowley was a jarring reality check that uncovered the fragility of the state of race relations in America. Since that incident, I have heard more people, black and white, express sincere concerns and fears that race relations in America is becoming worse and not better in spite of an African-American being elected as the President of the United States.
Although many of us breathed a deep sigh of relief when the crisis had been smoothed over, it was, nevertheless, a call to action that will require more than a sit-down meeting on the lawn of the White House over a couple of beers. The sacrificial efforts in the 60’s and 70’s to confront and dismantle the despairing racial heritage of America achieved monumental successes through civil rights legislation, but they could not break strongholds of racialized thinking in the hearts and minds of people. Thus, the Boston incident is a loud, clanging sound reminding us that our past is still unresolved.
This is my contention. Our inability as a nation to resolve our racial conflicts is primarily due to the fact that we have not properly diagnosed the root of the problem. The problem is not skin, it is sin. Prejudice of any kind is more than a social, political, or psychological problem; it’s not even a color problem—black, white, brown, red, or whatever color that characterizes a particular group of people. It is first and foremost a sin problem.
This is a sin problem that has no boundaries. The vast majority of people in America and other nations are infected with a human propensity to judge people on the basis of their race or ethnicity. Furthermore, people find it difficult to forgive and to forget offenses when race or ethnicity is involved. In summary, racial problems are significant expressions of mankind’s sinful nature and it will require more than well-intended dialogue and a hand-shake to deliver our nation from this unrelenting issue; the only cure for sin is in the blood that was shed at Calvary.
If a storm of racial conflict is brewing over the nation, as many Americans believe, the Church must not bury its head in the sand of despair and wait for other sectors of society to offer solutions. Unquestionably, Christians should be the first responders to spiritual problems and needs of society. Have we not been called to the ministry of reconciliation (2 Corinthians 5:18), not with “feel-good” diplomacy but with Spirit-filled diplomacy and the unconditional love of God within our hearts? Have we not been equipped with the word of reconciliation (2 Corinthians 5:18), which is capable of breaking down every barrier and wall of hostility? Are we not commissioned to serve as ambassadors of reconciliation, not by human appointment but by the Prince of Peace (2 Corinthians 5:20)?
One of the great prayers of the Bible is recorded in John 17 when Jesus prayed passionately for unity among believers; the Lord knew that we could not be able ministers of reconciliation in the world if we were not practitioners of reconciliation within the Church. I believe that the answer to Jesus’ prayer will be manifested in the end times, and it will be an important sign of the Holy Spirit’s work of perfecting the Body of Christ before Christ’s second coming. A generation is being raised up that will heed the prayer of our great Redeemer, “Father, make them one...”, and they will stand together and champion Jesus’ vision and heart for unity wherever the hurtful effects of racial and ethnic discord exist.
