What is going on everyone!! I hope everyone is doing good this week!! In light of some situations that have happened recently, I wanted today into the root of racism. I believe that this is a very relevant issue in our lives, and we see plenty of examples of our need for change and growth in our country, but more importantly, in our hearts. My heart with this blog post is not to antagonize anyone, but it is to call up my brothers and sisters and hold us all accountable, myself included, on making sure our hearts are being sanctified continually.
We all know that racism is beyond wrong. Racism has no place in our country, or in the hearts of the people of this great nation, or anywhere in the world. Sadly, it has affected our history and even our present, and it is absolutely sickening seeing examples of racism being so consistently observed. To be very candid, I am not only referring to blatant acts of racial hatred, but I am also referring to the quiet, soft double standards we present, and the seemingly small biases we deal with internally. Just to present my perspective, all of those factors should be seen in the same light.
The main problem I have is that we are so quick to call out the racism, but we aren’t as proactive to deal with the root of it, being sin. Characteristics like lying, stealing, racism, violence, and many others are mainly the personifications of sin being manifested in our lives. Sin is a huge issue, not just because God doesn’t like it, but because it presents itself in ways that are extremely harmful to us. It’s not enough to talk about the racial injustice we face and have been facing. Don’t get me wrong, it does need to be spoken about so healing can occur, but it’s not enough to just talk about it, or to do protests, or to have discussions and debates. We need to really dig into the heart of people, because that is where change occurs.
Here’s an example: If someone has a bad habit of lying, talking to them about why lying is wrong may not cause the person to change. Sin is the root that needs to be dealt with. The beauty of this though, is that the way to deal with sin (racism included) is with the gospel. Really seeing and experiencing what God did for us on the cross really brings about a changed heart. Look at the Apostle Paul. That man was literally on his way to persecute Christians, and Jesus radically changed his life, to where he became one of the most influential figures of our faith.
To the people that have the racial bias, how can you see someone as less than because of how they look? There is no place for that, especially in the church. We as the body of Christ should be the prime example of equality and lifting up others, even when they look different than us.
Racism is not okay, and neither is sin. I firmly believe that when we really cut the root of sin, the results (racism, lying, etc) will be removed from us as well.
Much Love,
Ryan W.
