Reconciled as One

Introduction

It was so good to hear from Stefan this morning regarding the history of the black community here in San Francisco. It’s been such a blessing working alonside him with TITC. As we start Black History Month, I wanted highlight some of the relationships that we currently enjoy with organizations and community leaders right here in the Fillmore.

Businesses we will support

1. Green Streets

2. Black Infant Health - individual relationships

Raise care packages for the mothers

3. NAACP - individual relationships

4. Citizens Film

5. RE22

6. Pia Catering - Fillmore Merchants 4 businesses who need it the most (4)

This month, we are going to be looking at the broad topic of relationships and how the power of the gospel brings peace into all the different types of relationships that we encounter in life. Given the fact that this is the beginning of Black History month, we are going to start off by looking at how to handle racial and intercultural relationships through the lens of gospel.

Body

Ephesians 2:14–18 ESV

For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace, and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility. And he came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near. For through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father.

We know that the gospel not only deals with our broken relationship with God but also our broken relationships with one another. As we read passages like this, there can be no doubt that one of the main goals of Christianity is to bring reconciliation between races in conflict. Unfortunately, some will critique Christianity as being part of the problem and rightfully accuse the American church of being complicit in the history of racism here in our nation. But at the same time, we can’t forget that the ideals of Christianity, what we see in the Bible, is often very far from how it is practiced in the real world. What makes Christianity even more relevant today in America than it has ever been is the fact that the origin of the church was born out of racial and cultural hostility.

Paul describes Jews and Gentiles as being separated by a wall of hostility but through the cross of Jesus, that wall has been broken down so that out of the two, one new man, meaning an entirely new race would emerge. And as they enjoy peace with God, so they would also enjoy peace with one another. I don’t know about you but that seems amazing, something worth striving for but if we are honest with ourselves, it also seems like a pipe dream, something that is unattainable, unrealistic, especially in the light of recent events and the long history history of racism in a nation that was supposedly founded on Christian principles. And as we see this disparity, we have to wonder, how did so many this country stray so far from the truth that they professed to believe?

As you think about Black History month, I want to encourage you to read about the role that African Americans have played in the history of the United States. (Oneness Embraced by Tony Evans, Color of Compromise Jemar Tisby, Setting the Record Straight David Barton) In this politically charged atmosphere, it is hard to find completely objective books that chronicle both the important contributions that Black Americans have made throughout this nation’s history along with the very painful history of racism that continues to plague our society. Some books optimistically looks at how both white and black leaders worked together to form a more perfect union while the other books tends to be more cynical and suspicious about the motivations of even well known abolitionists. The history of our country is so complicated that it is very hard to think clearly through these issues.

For example, Alexander Hamilton was an opponent of slavery and this fact is celebrated by Lin Manuel Miranda in the very popular Broadway musical but there is evidence that Hamilton, as a lawyer, served as the legal middle man in the transfer of slaves between owners. (If we are going to take down Lincoln’s name from our schools, Hamilton the muscial probably should be boycotted and you should think about cancelling Disney plus). We know that Paul Revere did not ride alone as he declared the British invasion and that Wentworth Cheswell who was biracial, the freed grandson of a slave, rode with him. Sadly, that fact is rarely recounted in our history lessons and conveniently, he was considered to be white. Perhaps even more distressing is the lack of information regarding the conditions that slaves had to live in for generations in the South, conditions that were beyond inhumane. Now do we want to think about the sheer number of lives that were brutally cut short by this evil. Our nation’s past is darker and more convoluted than anyone could imagine and I don’t know if we will ever be able to reconcile all the facts of history. But hopefully, we all understand that we cannot afford to dismiss history otherwise we will never learn from the sins of the past. Yet at the same time, we cannot get stuck in our history, otherwise we will never look forward to a brighter day.

What we know about the apostle Paul was the remarkable consistency in how he lived out his beliefs about God. What he wrote didn’t remain in the realm of theory but he lived out his theology. In particular, there are two examples from Paul’s life that highlights his commitment to breaking down this wall of hostility and making sure that it stayed down.

Galatians 2:11–14 ESV

But when Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he stood condemned. For before certain men came from James, he was eating with the Gentiles; but when they came he drew back and separated himself, fearing the circumcision party. And the rest of the Jews acted hypocritically along with him, so that even Barnabas was led astray by their hypocrisy. But when I saw that their conduct was not in step with the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas before them all, “If you, though a Jew, live like a Gentile and not like a Jew, how can you force the Gentiles to live like Jews?”

In this encounter with Cephas, better known to us as the apostle Peter, Paul observes that Peter was eating with Gentile believers until certain men from the circumcision party came to visit. This circumcision party still believed that Jews and Gentiles should be separated based on Old Testament mandates. What is heartbreaking is that these same arguments were used to justify the prohibition of interracial marriages. Using passages completely taken out of context, pastors in the south would defend segregation. The most baffling case I read about was the use of Deuteronomy 22:11 which forbids the mixing of wool and linen as proof that different races should not mix.

The same social dynamic that we see in this passage, drove much of the racism in this country. Fear of outspoken leaders, fear to go against social norms, fear to stand up for the truth can cause even good Christians like Peter and Barnabas to compromise what they believe and to be complicit in the sin of racism. And we further read that because Peter and Barnabas did not stand firm, the rest of the Jewish believers fell into the very same hypocrisy. Fortunately, we have this clear record of Paul’s reaction as he watches all of this unfold. He opposes Peter directly recognizing that Peter stands condemned because his actions were not in alignment with the truth of the Gospel. For the Christian, the primary reason for fighting against racial and cultural division is the Gospel. It is directly counter to the purpose of Jesus death on the cross which is to make one new man out of the two.

Unfortunately, we all know that our bigotry and racism doesn’t automatically end just because someone becomes a Christian or even when Christian values are applauded as being good. The Scriptures teach us that an unjust world needs advocacy born out of relationship. Paul again teaches us how to do that in the book of Philemon:

Philemon 8–16 ESV

Accordingly, though I am bold enough in Christ to command you to do what is required, yet for love’s sake I prefer to appeal to you—I, Paul, an old man and now a prisoner also for Christ Jesus— I appeal to you for my child, Onesimus, whose father I became in my imprisonment. (Formerly he was useless to you, but now he is indeed useful to you and to me.) I am sending him back to you, sending my very heart. I would have been glad to keep him with me, in order that he might serve me on your behalf during my imprisonment for the gospel, but I preferred to do nothing without your consent in order that your goodness might not be by compulsion but of your own accord. For this perhaps is why he was parted from you for a while, that you might have him back forever, no longer as a bondservant but more than a bondservant, as a beloved brother—especially to me, but how much more to you, both in the flesh and in the Lord.

What we know of Paul’s relationships with this man was that Onesimus was a runaway slave who met Paul while both were in prison. Paul brought him to the Lord and quickly became a friend and a spiritual father to this man. In an amazing set of coincidences directed by God’s sovereignty, we have this record of how Paul advocates for this new believer. It turns out that Paul also knew his master at least as an acquaintence. Due to this relationship, Paul was comfortable enough to exert his authority as an apostle if necessary but first he appeals out of love. He emphasizes without a shadow of a doubt what Onesimus means to him. Paul refers to him as his own heart as someone whose relationship to him was invaluable. He would have gladly kept this young man to serve and guide him in his new found faith. But also saw an opportunity for Philemon to do the right thing and that was to receive Onesimus back, no longer as a slave but a beloved brother both in the flesh and in the Lord. (I love how Paul throws that in there. Some people spiritualize racial relationships and talk about oneness and being equally made in the image of God but in the flesh, in real life, they do nothing about it. Paul warns Philemon not to make that mistake.

And to his credit, it appears that Philemon listened to Paul. Archaelogical records show that Onesimus would go on to become the bishop of the church of Ephesus, one of the most important congregations in Asia Minor that for a period had the apostle John and the Mary, the mother of Jesus in attendance. It’s remarkable that this former slave ultimately the leader of such a prominent church. This is the Christianity that we have inherited and the one that must be passed down. The type of Christianity that reconciles the racial conflicts of this world by making two into one.

Conclusion

"Pee Wee kind of sensed the sort of helpless, dead feeling in me and came over and stood beside me for a while. He didn't say a word, but he looked over at the chaps who were yelling at me and just stared. He was standing by me, I could tell you that."

The hecklers ceased their attack. "I will never forget it," Robinson said.