There is No Racism Under Christ

Martin Luther King, 1964

By: Dawn Ford

I enjoy working with Preschools and Kindergarteners.  They love and accept everyone.  It doesn’t matter what you look like, how you walk or how you talk, these little people with pure hearts eat together, play together, and even have rest time together.

Unfortunately a sad thing happens when many of these same sweet Preschoolers became third and fourth graders.  Suddenly, differences are noticed, tagged and in extreme causes exploited.  As an educator I work hard to combat these issues head on but it’s difficult to stop the ball once it’s in motion.

As we reflect today on the man Martin Luther King and his message, we can be proud of many accomplishments in the almost 44 years since his death.  Praise God my generation and younger have not had to live through the day to day outward aggression that tore this country apart in the 1960’s.  As Christ followers however, we must not be complacent and not enter into a Passive Racism where we turn a blind eye to problems and issues that still plague our country and our world today.

Scripture

Colossians 3: 1-14

^11"Here there is no Greek or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all.

¹² Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. ¹³ Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.

¹⁴And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity."

Back story

Paul is writing to the church in Colosse, a city in Asia Minor (now Turkey) and believers everywhere.  The letter is composed from a prison cell in Rome, in an attempt to combat new believers combining the Christian truth with paganism and secular philosophy. ¹

In chapters 1-2 Paul explains how the world’s teaching are totally empty when compared with God’s plan and he challenges the Colossians to reject shallow answers and to live in union with Christ.  Once they (and us) enter that union with Christ, Paul urges the Colossians to foster union with one another and live in harmony under the love a Christ, (chapters 3 and 4). ²

Our Take Away

There is no racism under God.  God is very specific early in His Word, when He calls Abram to leave Ur (yes folks that’s modern day Iraq) and follow Him.  In Genesis 12: 1-3 and again in Genesis 18:18, God specifically states that all people on earth and all nations will be blessed through Abram (later Abraham).  No nation, people or race is given preferential treatment.  Even the Jews, while they are called God’s “chosen people”, God meant they were “chosen” to bring his message of love and acceptance to the world.

One little Jewish boy got is so right.  Look at Christ teaches when he put on skin and came to earth.  Jesus’ “superstars” in his parables and in his teaching where always people the Jews despised; The Good Samaritan (Luke 10:33-37), 10 lepers are healed, only the Samaritan comes back to thank Jesus (Luke 17:16), the Roman official who has so much faith Christ will heal his servant, he tells Jesus, he doesn’t even have to come to his house, just speak the healing and it will be done (Matt 8:6-11). 

Jesus purposely picked races the Jews looked down on, not to only teach them the Good News was for all but also to show God doesn’t play favorites. 

Our only call is to love.  Once you are a Christ follower the love you have for Him, should translate into love for all – friends, fellow believers, spouses, children, parents, slaves and masters. 

What can we do now?

Be mindful.  While you might not speak or act with hate, tolerating others behavior, jokes, speech, and actions is all forms of passive racism.  Racism stems from fear and misplaced pride.  While it should be done in love, be bold enough to educate what is appropriate under Christ’s direction. 

Also, use situations as teachable moments for your children and children in your sphere of influence.  The only way I combated the shift from PreK acceptance to fourth grade bigotry was letting it know what I would tolerate and what I wouldn’t.   

ALL means ALL.  The word for “all,” “kole” in Hebrew, “pas” in Greek means, “each, every, any, all, the whole, everyone, all things, everything.”  Christ message is for all. He wants to be in all and He wants us to love all.  

Questions:

1.  What are you reflecting on today as we celebrate Martin Luther King Day?

2.  What can you do differently to facilitate Christ ALL approach?   

Dawn Ford is a licensed speech language pathologist and the Vice President of Infinite Love Ministries, INC. A not for profit corporation dedicated to showing all the infinite love of Christ.  For more information check out the website, http://www.infiniteloveministries.com/

1 and 2, Life Application Bible, New International Version, 1988, page 2156