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.

Gary Ham's Comment in Charisma Mazazine

I wrote a brief commentary about the election of President Obama which, gratefully, was published in Charisma Magazine in their April 2009 edition. However, parts of what I wrote were left out. The following is the original unabridged version of my commentary which gives more meaning and value to what I was trying to say.

A Spiritual Perspective on the Presidential Election:

Putting politics aside, let’s look at the presidential election results from a spiritual perspective. With all of the prayer and fasting that occurred prior to the election by sincere and passionate men and women of faith, did the outcome of the election have any spiritual value or meaning? Well, I think it does and it will help all of us praying people to know that our sovereign God heard and answered our prayers, regardless of who we voted for.

There is a passage from the Old Testament that records a very important moment in the history of the Jewish people. This event occurred after Israel had been delivered from Egypt, and after the forty years of wandering in the wilderness, and soon after the crossing of the Jordan River.

Joshua 5:9--Then the Lord said to Joshua, “Today I have rolled away the shame of your slavery in Egypt.” So that place has been called Gilgal to this day.

At Gilgal, God removed the shame of slavery that had marked Israel for over 400 years. This was a very important and meaningful pronouncement for a people who had only known slavery and second-class citizenship for centuries. In order for Israel to rise up as a nation and claim its inheritance in the Promised Land, God had to remove the reproach of slavery. A change had to occur in how Israel viewed themselves and how other nations viewed them; a new national identity had to be forged.

There are historical parallels of this event in Bible history that relate to where America is today.

Unfortunately, America and slavery have a shared history, developing together over a long period of time. Early in our country’s history, slavery, with all of its regulations and beliefs, was woven into the fabric of our society, seriously corrupting the image and mindset of a nation that was founded upon tremendous principles of liberty and freedom. The legacy of slavery has kept America divided and not fully capable of embracing its noble creed of being one nation under God, indivisible and providing justice for all. Even though slavery was abolished in 1865, the historical record of race relations in our society clearly shows that a significant breakthrough in this area was long overdue. The breakthrough came on November 4, 2008.

When an African-American was duly elected as the forty-fourth President of the United States, it shattered what had been an impenetrable glass ceiling of opportunity for minorities and women. By this election, America has crossed a ‘Jordan’, a new day has dawned, effects of a shameful past have been rolled away, and all people of America, no matter what color or ethnicity, can now feel that they are joint-heirs of the American dream and destiny.

Spiritually speaking, our nation is in major transition faced with overwhelming challenges and many unknowns. More people are turning to faith in hopes of finding answers to the complexities of life. But the Church of Jesus Christ cannot adequately respond to the needs of this hour without putting on a new wineskin of corporate identity. The Church has an image problem that needs solving.

The election results on November 4^th produced a new wineskin, a new paradigm of equality. If people of faith will rightly discern the times, we can seize an unprecedented opportunity to be more unified as the Body of Christ which will result in a far greater witness of our faith throughout the nation and the world.