Salvation alone does not eradicate prejudice or racist thoughts from the minds of believers, nor does it exempt believers from racial oppression. We see an example of this in the book of Acts chapter 6. In a community of believers who are filled with the Holy Spirt, there were greek widows who were neglected in the daily food distribution administered by the Jewish believers. The apostles appointed men of good reputation who were filled with the Holy Spirit (deacons) to address this issue.
34 Then Peter began to speak: “I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism 35 but accepts from every nation the one who fears him and does what is right. 36 You know the message God sent to the people of Israel, announcing the good news of peace through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all.
The keyword here is NOW. After 3 years of discipleship with Jesus in which he watched Jesus associate with Samaritans and Romans, receiving the great commission to spread the gospel to the ends of the earth, 10 chapters into the book of Acts and NOW Peter understands that he can associate with Gentile believers. Some sin issues are not eradicated immediately when we accept Christ.
In Galatians 2, Paul rebukes Peter for his hypocritical behavior amongst Gentile believers. Peter was willing to engage with Gentile believers in Antioch until some of the Jewish believers showed up.
11 But when Peter came to Antioch, I had to stand up against him because he was guilty. 12 Peter had been eating with the people who are not Jews. But after some men came who had been with James, he kept away from them. He was afraid of those who believe in the religious act of becoming a Jew. 13 Then the rest of the Jews followed him because they were afraid to do what they knew they should do.
If you read the entire chapter, you will see that Paul's reminds Peter that we are saved and justified by faith and not through works like circumcision. But I believe Paul is addressing more than that. It's a cultural superiority that says "We know how to worship, not you". This is not a "then" issue. We tend to invalidate people who look different, speak different, dress different, and even worship differently from us! We say, "These people are not of God" because: the sermon is too short/long, the music is too loud/quiet, the service is too structured/unpredictable, they dance/don't dance, the members say "Amen" too much/not at all, etc. Tim Keller expresses similar sentiments when he wrote:
For most people, then, race and culture are a kind of self-righteousness. We think of ourselves as the good ones, not like “those people” over there. That means we tend to make our cultural preferences—which are no more than that, preferences—into moral absolutes and badges of honor. For example, so many of the ways we do things in church—how we express emotion, how we sing, how long the service is, how we talk to one another—are merely cultural preferences, not prescriptions of Scripture. And yet without a deep grasp of grace we become wedded to our cultural styles and patterns as “the right way” to be a Christian, and we despise other cultural patterns. We secretly (or not so secretly) despise people of races and cultures (or politics!) different from our own as a way to patch up a righteousness of our own.*
If we are really honest with ourselves, we all have preconceived ideas or judgements about people who are different from us and even towards our own people! Being honest is the first step to repentance and transformation.
I have a hard time believing someone when they say this. But even if it’s true, I think we do a disservice to the body of Christ and to God when we take this approach. Scriptures say that I am fearfully and wonderfully made (Psalm 139:14), and that He knit me together in my mother’s womb (Psalm 139:13). God made me Black! He allowed me to be born into an African American family. God is the author of diversity. To say that you don’t see color means you don’t see me. It also means that you invalidate any experiences I have that are unique to my culture. It means that you deny the unique design of God.
3. We have a multi-ethnic church….so you know..we’re good
I think diversity is important, but what’s more important is inclusion. It’s not enough to see a rainbow of faces in the same room. But is there diversity of thought, worship styles, preaching styles, leadership roles, etc? There is so much that we can learn from different cultures. We have different languages, foods, music, clothing styles, names, body mannerisms, values, table manners, etc. But being a diverse church means more than awesome potlucks and the occasional song in a different language. As an African American, you might appreciate my hair styles, my rhythmic abilities (Well not me personally because I am rhythm deficient. But you know, other Black folk like my husband who’s been clapping on the 2 and the 4 since birth). However, can you embrace everything about me? Can you enter into my suffering even if you can't relate to it? Question for my non-black brethren: Do all of the black congregants in your church feel safe discussing their personal experiences with racial injustice? Is there space for them to cry and express their rage? Are you willing to mourn with us before leading us down the path of forgiveness?
My Conclusion
In Romans 12:2, Paul tells a body of believers “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind that you may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God”. The word renewing indicates a continuation. We as believers are being transformed into the image of Christ form glory to glory. Let's not be deceived into believing that this is not an area that requires surrendering and sanctifying. The God who began a good work in us, will see it to completion. So let’s embrace that work and let God do His thing!
*Tim Keller, "The Sin of Racism", Life in the Gospel, Redeemer Church and Ministries Quarterly Newsletter Q2 2020,https://quarterly.gospelinlife.com/the-sin-of-racism/
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