Racism & Christians
Racism is not simply a social “issue”. That’s a slight on humanity. Make no mistake, racism is a war rooted in antiquity. A battle against good and evil. It’s demonic and here’s why: Every man, women, boy and girl is created in the Image of God.
Image. Of. God.
Our enemy, Satan, has one agenda — Blur God’s image. Cause humanity to distrust that every single motive and act by God is out of His love and for our good. The only tactic the enemy has is to manipulate us into questioning God’s heart, therefore trusting ourselves and consequently tarnishing what it means to be human.
To be human is to reflect God’s good image to the world and reflect praise to Him. For that to be humanly possible we need divine intervention and empowerment.
Enter Jesus and His Spirit.
The issue of racism and every other injustice is ultimately a gospel issue. A Kingdom come from “up there” to “down here” issue. And God’s people are mandated to mediate. To speak. To act. No need to pray about it. Everyone knows that’s just a stall tactic. No, let me state it clearer: it’s a hyper-spiritual way of avoiding God’s will.
While we’re talking about God’s Will let me riff on that for a brief moment. If by God’s Will you mean, whatever will expand my platform, my bank account, my social status...things up and to the right, you may want to revisit the whole “taking up our cross” thing.
Our God is not safe.
At some point every single Jesus follower ever will stand at that line. You know that line. The side we start out on is called “come and see”. Everything we taste about Jesus and His ways is helpful and got’s all the feels. Then we get to THE line. It’s called the “go and die” line. It’s funny, we say we’d be willing to die in service to our King but few are willing to live. Live lovingly. Sacrificially. We want the God in the prosperity theology. Not the God in the cardboard shack calling us to the orphan, the widow, the marginalized, the poor.
We have conveniently made these social issues rather then rightly, Gospel Issues. Because one is political. The other is Christian. And after all, the Church stays out of politics. Therefore I get a pass. Nope. Not with Jesus’ flag waiving.
Have we become numb to the injustices of corrupt power, human trafficking, the murder of the pre-born, fatherlessness, the poor...?
(I don’t need to make a list, do I?)
I believe we have. And in our attempts to feel alive again, we have turned to spirituality as a coping mechanism. “Praying, studying, singing, gathering” about what to do with the grenade that just landed in our fox hole.
Stop praying. It’s killing your soul.
Let me soften that. And please hear me, dear Christian: Pray if you are willing to personally do what God says to do. Otherwise your prayers are numbing your humanity.
Before I lose too many more friends, let me wrap this up with two verses. One from the Old Testament and one from the New. Just so I cover all the bases.
“He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.” Micah 6:8 NIV
“But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds.” Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds. You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder.” James 2:18-19 NIV