Biblical Roots of Racism

Recently over the past several weeks our nation has gone into extreme division regarding racism, police injustice, rioting, and racism.

Racism is nothing new. A few weeks ago, I had one of our Inner City Missionaries come and share a Biblical perspective on racism - which he did from that of a person of color and from a multi racial family. His focus was on where do I fit, and his synopsis was that in the family of God there is no race, we all fit with Christ.

I did that because I knew as a pastor and as a white man that I could not address some of the injustice nor what it was personally like to be profiled or targeted. Where I have been turned down for positions because of the color of my skin, I have also not had to deal with the fears and issues or family in Christ of other color and culture have had to deal with.

What I can clearly address however, is where does the Bible show us racism comes from, how it actually began, and the Bible’s response to it. so this morning I want to share A Biblical Response to Racism!

1. Roots of Diversity

I want to begin by talking about the Strength of Diversity (body of Christ are many different parts) and diversity with unity is beautiful. My family has spent the past decade and a half and even beyond ministering to multi cultural communities. Some even more diverse than Destiny.

1 Corinthians 12:12–27 NLT

12 The human body has many parts, but the many parts make up one whole body. So it is with the body of Christ. 13 Some of us are Jews, some are Gentiles, some are slaves, and some are free. But we have all been baptized into one body by one Spirit, and we all share the same Spirit. 14 Yes, the body has many different parts, not just one part. 15 If the foot says, “I am not a part of the body because I am not a hand,” that does not make it any less a part of the body. 16 And if the ear says, “I am not part of the body because I am not an eye,” would that make it any less a part of the body? 17 If the whole body were an eye, how would you hear? Or if your whole body were an ear, how would you smell anything? 18 But our bodies have many parts, and God has put each part just where he wants it. 19 How strange a body would be if it had only one part! 20 Yes, there are many parts, but only one body. 21 The eye can never say to the hand, “I don’t need you.” The head can’t say to the feet, “I don’t need you.” 22 In fact, some parts of the body that seem weakest and least important are actually the most necessary. 23 And the parts we regard as less honorable are those we clothe with the greatest care. So we carefully protect those parts that should not be seen, 24 while the more honorable parts do not require this special care. So God has put the body together such that extra honor and care are given to those parts that have less dignity. 25 This makes for harmony among the members, so that all the members care for each other. 26 If one part suffers, all the parts suffer with it, and if one part is honored, all the parts are glad. 27 All of you together are Christ’s body, and each of you is a part of it.

God loves diversity, and God created the diversity that exists in our world today. Diversity is a powerful thing, including the diversity not of skin color but of our varying cultures. Even within the color of skin, cultures can be quite different. Even within the same language groups, there are different cultures. A northeasterner and a southerner are different cultures from a westerner or even a European. Someone from Mexico is different than someone from Cuba or Venezuela. A Nigerian is different than a Ugandan or Ethiopian.

As Isaac said a few weeks ago, it is ok to recognize our differences - they make us unique and they should be celebrated, NEVER SHAMED, and can create great advantage.

Regardless of Color - we all come from one original strand of DNA that through time and isolation from one another and concentrating the same genetics created physical characteristics including skin tones, facial features strengths and weaknesses - created different cultures within the same race! THE HUMAN RACE!

(crack a white egg and a brown egg - they are the same inside)

We all bleed red - we all are from the same race -

You can’t cross a lion and a dog or a horse and a rhino - they are different species

We are all one - and no one is better than the other

It is the difference of Culture is often what makes us see and fear or judge color... and WRONGFULLY SO!

A black man from Ghana is far different in their thought, perspective and behaviors than a black man from Chicago.

A white man from Texas is far different in thought, perspective and behavior that a white man from Australia.

An Asian from San Francisco is not the same as an Asian from Beijing or Tokyo. (Camping with ministers - one Pastor’s wife was half Korean in her ethnic background - she was from the Dakotas - and is often mistaken for being Native American - she was raised in North Dakota, has perfect English without the hint of even an American accent - she is no more Korean in culture then I am Italian --- in Italy - my name was recognized and my appearance, but as soon as it was realized I was American - I was not really Italian to them!

How wrong it is to “judge” someone based on an outer appearance - and not on their individual self. Yet, how vibrant to embrace the difference of cultures!

This variety of culture developed at the hand of God!!!

Genesis 11:1–9 NLT

1 At one time all the people of the world spoke the same language and used the same words. 2 As the people migrated to the east, they found a plain in the land of Babylonia and settled there. 3 They began saying to each other, “Let’s make bricks and harden them with fire.” (In this region bricks were used instead of stone, and tar was used for mortar.) 4 Then they said, “Come, let’s build a great city for ourselves with a tower that reaches into the sky. This will make us famous and keep us from being scattered all over the world.” 5 But the Lord came down to look at the city and the tower the people were building. 6 “Look!” he said. “The people are united, and they all speak the same language. After this, nothing they set out to do will be impossible for them! 7 Come, let’s go down and confuse the people with different languages. Then they won’t be able to understand each other.” 8 In that way, the Lord scattered them all over the world, and they stopped building the city. 9 That is why the city was called Babel, because that is where the Lord confused the people with different languages. In this way he scattered them all over the world.

Tower of Babel - in order to keep man from uniting against God - the Lord separates man through language - once again isolation existed as man went off in groups of those who were like themselves - man’s separation was a result of man’s rebellion against God.

That isolation created cultures, religions, ways of thinking based on geography, what was accessible and necessary for survival - ways of life developed and ways of thinking and interaction - it was far more than just language and over the years not only language but these behaviors created differences - in addition, it isolated gene pools and specific features and skin tones!

Man’s sin would cause cultures of varying kinds to develop as people grouped themselves by language at the hand of God’s dividing - from there subcultures within groups developed as people sought for others that thought and did things like they do! As people can naturally be drawn to similarity.

However, it was God’s plan that as SIN would divide the world from uniting against THE LORD, that through JESUS, man would be united!

1 Corinthians 12:13 NLT

13 Some of us are Jews, some are Gentiles, some are slaves, and some are free. But we have all been baptized into one body by one Spirit, and we all share the same Spirit.

Thus on the Day of Pentecost, the Lord used language of varying cultures to bring the church together and present the Gospel to many peoples.

Revelation 14:6 NLT

6 And I saw another angel flying through the sky, carrying the eternal Good News to proclaim to the people who belong to this world—to every nation, tribe, language, and people.

it is God’s intent that every nation, tribe, language and people HEAR THE GOSPEL!!!

The Gospel does not belong to anyone cultural or color group, but is for all MANKIND!!! JESUS DIED FOR ALL!

2. Roots of Hatred

Through the years as cultures developed, and people were identified by appearance as belonging to a particular cultural group - in the shallowness of minds - people were abused by others who did not view different people groups as the same as themselves.

Here are things that contributed to people identifying one another by skin tones and physical features and different behaviors...

A. Pride - thinking one people group is superior to the other

This is not isolated to complete opposites - Japan fought against other Asian nations - Korea divided itself, Hitler conquered other European Anglos and Africans enslaved other Africans and are still doing so in Muslim communities in Africa.

It is all based in Pride!

B. Greed - the desire to dominate, control and gain wealth and power is the general cause of most wars between people groups - it is the motivation for slavery to be waited upon, served and worked for and made rich at another’s expense - and from the beginning of time people groups have enslaved other people groups both of same color and different color - generally of different culture.

Indians did this to Indians, Africans to Africans, middle easterners to others, even Jews held other Jews as slaves. If you owed a debt - your family could be sold to slavery - thus God’s laws on the year of Jubilee and setting people free from their slavery.

C. Lust - the desire for gratification and sinful pleasure is what drives sex industries and sex slaves and the same has existed in the dominance of other people’s throughout history - throughout the years people have mistreated others deemed weaker or less than for their own pleasure - to fulfill lustful needs and wants. For many years years women have been treated as property and not individuals regardless of culture or color.

Mark 7:20–23 NLT

20 And then he added, “It is what comes from inside that defiles you. 21 For from within, out of a person’s heart, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, 22 adultery, greed, wickedness, deceit, lustful desires, envy, slander, pride, and foolishness. 23 All these vile things come from within; they are what defile you.”

1 John 2:16 NLT

16 For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father, but are from this world.

1 John 2:16 NKJV

16 For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world.

These roots are all based in the abasement and sinful desire of man. The fallen nature of all humankind

The reality, as wrong as it is, is that we will never fix the nature of man - until Jesus comes sin will abound in this world and one group will always seek to dominate another

All racism has its roots in sin! It is putting the characteristics, perspectives and behaviors of one group above the other.

There is a reason why you see Nationalism rise - it is because for years newcomers to America assimilated into the culture of the nation - to be AMERICAN - weaving differences together...

In recent decades - enough that a couple of generations existing now, have no recollection of life that was monotone --- no longer are people assimilating into culture --- no longer a stew (where flavors meld together to become one, but a salad - maintaining diversity --- you can pick things out of a salad, but it is hard to pick flavors out of a stew.

Some groups fear losing their culture -

Jesus gives us the response we should have to other cultures (in any direction)

3. Roots of Healing

Philippians 2:1–3 NLT

1 Is there any encouragement from belonging to Christ? Any comfort from his love? Any fellowship together in the Spirit? Are your hearts tender and compassionate? 2 Then make me truly happy by agreeing wholeheartedly with each other, loving one another, and working together with one mind and purpose. 3 Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves.

The Bind of Christ and Love !

The reality is man cannot love one another - even their own “kind” without the love of Christ in their heart!

We don’t treat spouses and children with love and members of our own family.

The selfishness and sinfulness of man’s heart makes them look for someone to look down upon - someone less than themselves --- WHY?

When a person lacks love, they seek to love themselves. This is only remedied through being loved by Christ and loving others as HE did!

1 John 4:7–20 NLT

7 Dear friends, let us continue to love one another, for love comes from God. Anyone who loves is a child of God and knows God. 8 But anyone who does not love does not know God, for God is love. 9 God showed how much he loved us by sending his one and only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through him. 10 This is real love—not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins. 11 Dear friends, since God loved us that much, we surely ought to love each other. 12 No one has ever seen God. But if we love each other, God lives in us, and his love is brought to full expression in us. 13 And God has given us his Spirit as proof that we live in him and he in us. 14 Furthermore, we have seen with our own eyes and now testify that the Father sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. 15 All who declare that Jesus is the Son of God have God living in them, and they live in God. 16 We know how much God loves us, and we have put our trust in his love. God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them. 17 And as we live in God, our love grows more perfect. So we will not be afraid on the day of judgment, but we can face him with confidence because we live like Jesus here in this world. 18 Such love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear. If we are afraid, it is for fear of punishment, and this shows that we have not fully experienced his perfect love. 19 We love each other because he loved us first. 20 If someone says, “I love God,” but hates a fellow believer, that person is a liar; for if we don’t love people we can see, how can we love God, whom we cannot see?

And if Christ is truly in us, we must submit our anger, hate and sinful thoughts toward one another to the one who came to bring us together!!

There is no Jew or Gentile, slave or free in Christ! We are all one and no matter what the world around us does, we must be united in love!

Social posts that hate or degrade another color or culture is not the attitude of the Christian

That goes from black to white and white to black and white to Latino and Latino to white and Latino to black and Asian to white, etc

When we call out another culture because of the sinful people in that culture we create even greater divide and force division through people finding common ground as they feel threatened.

The police man in Minneapolis May share my skin tone but he does not share my heart, and the protester that burned down a business in Mpls May share your culture but knowing those who may look different than me - I know does not share your heart

There are as many cross culturally that are outraged by bad behavior as the people group offended by it -

As Christians we are called to love one another!!!

Written before I ever heard our brother Isaac say it...

We need to stop identifying by color and culture and start identifying as people of the Kingdom of God !

The world will know we are Christians by our love ---

Love for every culture, color, and even sub cultures - like police and law enforcement!

Jesus died for ALL - that includes everyone - so we need to be fair and not leave bretheren of color in the dust or seek to punish people not of color assuming they are all alike.

The only root for healing will be LOVE! You cannot love if you are always judging and putting others down.

CONCLUSION

That being said...

As long as there is sin in this world, there will be racism, culturalism, and hatred!

It is the nature of man to be sinful! That is why we even see imperfect pictures of love amongst those who are screaming for justice.

As Christians we need to get caught up in the culture of serving Christ and loving others as Christ loved us!!! We need to repent of our roots of racism and hatred and respond to the roots of love and healing.

Let the world see Christ in us! Let us embrace diversity to demonstrate UNITY through the LOVE OF CHRIST!