THE BIBLICAL PATH TO RACIAL RECONCILIATION (RR)

Entitlement social welfare programs, affirmative action programs, and balancing governmental agencies – think police - with mostly people-of-color has not worked. Nothing has worked to bridge the racial divide, which seems to be worse today than at any time since Jim Crow.

It is therefore surprising that the Church is abandoning Biblical solutions in favor of more affirmative action. One head of an RR group promoted this solution at our church. He insisted that RR could be attained by placing more blacks into positions of leadership. I argued that racism cannot be healed by more racist policies, by favoring our brethren according to color or class rather than according to Biblical standards.

Biblical equality must govern our Church, and not race, class, or level of education. In Christ, we are one:

·       For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. (Galatians 3:27-28 ESV; Colossians 3:11)

Before God, we are one, of equal value, and equally beloved by our Savior. Yes, there are role distinctions, but these distinctions must be based upon the teachings of the Scriptures, like the role distinction between parents and children. Therefore, we cannot give preference based upon status and skin color:

·       My brothers, show no partiality as you hold the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory. For if a man wearing a gold ring and fine clothing comes into your assembly, and a poor man in shabby clothing also comes in, and if you pay attention to the one who wears the fine clothing and say, “You sit here in a good place,” while you say to the poor man, “You stand over there,” or, “Sit down at my feet,” have you not then made distinctions among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts? (James 2:1-4)

Nor can the Church show partially in favor of the poor, when it comes to Biblical law:

·       You shall not fall in with the many to do evil, nor shall you bear witness in a lawsuit, siding with the many, so as to pervert justice, nor shall you be partial to a poor man in his lawsuit. (Exodus 23:2-3)

An important distinction: Any institution must be fair and equally apply its standards to all, if it is to win trust and unity. However, this principle does not pertain to mercy ministries or our personal decisions to extend ourselves to certain groups of people, whether Eskimos, Pygmies, or Poles. We are free to follow the leading of the Spirit in these private matters. Likewise, we are free to start a church parenting or pregnancy group, even though it would not include everyone. Besides, these would not create division and bitterness within the Body of Christ. However, to appoint elders or teachers based upon skin color would! Instead, Biblical principles of fairness should prevail. Accordingly, for the church to start a group based on “Black Pride” would be as divisive and non-biblical as starting a group based on “White Pride.” Instead, the Church must focus on our common pride in our Savior.

Likewise, no one should be excluded from leadership based upon skin color or favored because they have degrees from prestigious universities.

The unity of the Church must be based upon a oneness in love and not upon racial or class considerations. This had been Jesus’ prayer:

·       “I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me. The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one, I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me. (John 17:20-23)

Oneness or RR cannot be achieved by instituting racial preferences. Instead, this strategy has proven to be a prescription for division. Instead, love is the perfect bond of unity:

·       “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” (John 13:34-35)

The greatest gift that we can give the world is the demonstration that our Lord is able to bring all peoples together in the bond of love, not through racial quotas and distinctions. The greatest gift that we can give our brother is a love that places their needs above our own comforts.

Racial quotas and distinctions have consistently caused bitterness. How much more when they are instituted in a place where they do not belong. These kinds of distinctions are correctly perceived either as virtue-signaling or condescending. Instead, the greatest respect we can pay another is not to show them preference based upon race or social status, but to regard them as brethren, equal before God. This is the only place where true brotherhood can thrive, and it is also God’s truth.

What about the sins against black people? Of course, this is an extensive issue. However, the Biblical answer is to take responsibility for our own sins, confess them, and make reparations. If a black man has been excluded from eldership because of his skin color, the church must address this charge. If found to be correct, then reparations are necessary – perhaps immediately to make him an elder.

We can Biblically apologize for the past failures of our church. However, this should not mean that we are guilty based upon our skin color. Nevertheless, we do have a responsibility if we see injustices and could have done something about them, but did not speak up:

·       So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin. (James 4:17)

For this, we must apologize, ask for forgiveness, and, if possible, right the wrong. However, we must also know that it is God’s forgiveness that we really need and are guaranteed (1 John 1:9-10). This means that we are free and need not grovel to prove that we are really good people. This only earns the disdain of others. Instead, our lives should be about the courage to speak truth in love and about proving how good our Lord is!