Christians' Role in Racism

     
     The year is 2015 and despite opinions about two recent events racism has steadily and thankfully declined since the civil rights era. As of 2010 the U.S. Census reported that 9 million people were claimed to be more than one "race." In my personal life I know of many inter-racial families and marriages. My brother is married to a woman from Venezuela. I have beautiful nieces and a nephew that are half Hispanic and half White. My wife takes care of a little girl whose mom is White and whose dad is African American. My own son is largely Native American from his mother's side and European from my side. So it would seem the United States has mostly moved towards multi-cultural tolerance and acceptance.

     Imagine my surprise when I hear out of the mouths of some people that everyone needs to stick to their own kind. What makes these word worse are the fact that they are uttered out of Christian's mouths of any background. It is so ridiculous that words cannot describe the amount of frustration it causes me, just thinking about it right now makes me want to smash my face against the keyboard. Really? Stick with your own kind? If this kind of nonsense is spewing out of the mouths of some Christians then it's contributing to the current problems we have. It is supposed to be the exact opposite, Christianity is meant to be inclusive of all ethnicity, not exclusive, so there are several problems with these beliefs that some Christians are holding onto.

     Old Testament Arguments that Backfire

     In regard to some Christians being against interracial relationships the most commonly spouted thing I hear is in reference to a verse in Leviticus, "Keep my decrees, do not mate different kinds of animals. Do not plant your field with two kinds of seed," but often people who quote this forget the rest of the verse, "Do not wear woven clothing from two different kinds of material" (Lev 19:19). The second passage I hear quoted against interracial marriage is from Exodus 34:15-16 which warns that if an Israelite marries a foreigner than that Israelite may possibly commit idolatry by worshiping their spouses' gods. 

     The problem with using those passages as an argument to support racial purity is that the very words are meant for a completely different context. God wasn't trying to keep racial purity, He was trying to keep spiritual purity. He wanted the Israelites to know He was/is the one true God and to keep the Israelites faithful to Him after He delivered them out of Egypt. For them (Israelites) to become holy and remain faithful they would have to abstain from mixing with other cultures that practiced a pan-theistic lifestyle.
   
      The Old Testament destroys the racist argument. For example, before the events of Exodus and the 40 years in the wilderness happened, Joseph (amazing technicolor dream-coat guy) becomes a high up dude in Egypt and saves his family and fellow Israelites from famine, marries an Egyptian woman and has two sons with her (Gen 46:20). Joseph's father Jacob, a patriarch of the Hebrew nation, adopts the two boys into his family and blesses them by giving them the honor to represent the family name (Gen 48). It's obvious that Joseph's marriage did not go against the will of God.

    

     What the New Testament Reveals About Racism

     My question to the Christians who say "stick with your own kind" is, have you ever read the New Testament?  While racism isn't necessarily confronted directly in the New Testament, discrimination is, and racism is of course a form of severe discrimination.  These practices are two things that are meant to look down on people and to limit them, but the Gospel has a way of removing walls put up between people and becoming a universal hope. The first example of breaking down barriers I can think of off the top of my head is the story of Nicodemus in the Gospel of John.

     It's not specifically spelled out in this passage, but Jesus had been suggesting that one could not get into heaven just by being born into a certain culture. Nicodemus, a pharisee, is traditionally considered a "secret believer" of Jesus, but hid that fact to prevent himself from being ostracized by the other Pharisees. Yet he believed that Jesus had been sent by God and told him so, Jesus responds by saying, "... no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again... No one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit" (John 3: 3, 5-6 NIV). In the same chapter we have the famous John 3:16 verse which is the most universal statement on Salvation in the Bible. In the very next chapter Jesus demonstrates this notion in the interaction with the Samaritan woman at the well (John 4:7-26). The point is this, flesh and blood become secondary, or almost meaningless, when one becomes born again. What matters from then on is the community of believers in Christ becoming unified in one spirit because of the Spirit.

      Consider what the apostle Paul says about unity in Christ, "Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace," (Eph 4:3). "For he himself is our peace who has made two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility" (Eph 2:14). Or try my personal favorite, "There is neither Jew or gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus," (Gal 3:28).

    Conclusion 

    This peace and unity stems from the love that Christ has for the world, not just for one people group. It is the model of love that we as Christians are supposed to be presenting to the world that can bring peace, break down barriers, and build bridges of fellowship between all kinds of people. With Christ's gospel now spread throughout the Earth and with citizens of every country accepting the offer of Salvation through Jesus there is no need to keep ourselves divided from each other. It is a biblical mandate that all Christians love one another the way Christ loves us. This way we pull the coming kingdom of God into the present to become visible to the world.

     I believe with all my heart that if we truly commit to this then it could significantly decrease the amount of discrimination and racism that is still roaming around. The racial ideas that some Christians hold onto are chains trapping them down. In part, racism stems from hate, it is sin. In reality Christ came to conquer sin, so my final question is to those who still grasp these old prejudices is, why are you so bitterly holding onto this sin that Jesus wants to set you free of?




Resources

Culpepper, R. Alan. The Gospel and Letters of John. Nashville: Abingdon, 1998. Print.

Bureau, U.s. Census. The Two or More Races Population: 2010  pag. Web.

"Interracial Dating." BibleStudy.org. Web. 08 Feb. 2015.

The Holy Bible. NIV Vers. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2005. Print.