Our country is at a crossroads. Racial tension is increasing and problems are more evident now than they have ever been. We are searching for change. We demand change. Are we even looking in the right place?
Something that has been encouraging to me lately is the willingness of professional athletes to step up and speak a message of peace. Athletes such as Carmelo Anthony, Charles Barkley and Michael Jordan have stepped up and led a charge that peace is attainable and the end of racial division is possible. They are right, but they don't know how this can be achieved.
The idea in our country is that racial issues are man to man issues and, if you want to put an end to them, you must look to yourself and start with how you treat people. While this isn't entirely wrong, they are missing a step. Racial issues are a result of sin. They are not a result of environment. They are not a result of actions or other people. They are a result of us being separated from God due to our sin. If we attack this sin issue, then we will make true progress.
It is important to state that all are equal in the eyes of God. Acts 10:34-35 says, "Opening his mouth, Peter said: "I most certainly understand now that God is not one to show partiality, but in every nation the man who fears Him and does what is right is welcome to Him." If all are welcome to God, then who are we to say that someone is less? This extends beyond race. This includes culture, appearance and past mistakes. All are welcome.
There is hope. We have a God that helps us to squash this sin issue. Romans 10:12-13 says, "For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, abounding in riches for all who call on Him; for "whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved." There is hope. God saves those who call upon His name despite any race or the past. You are invited into salvation.
What does this new idea of change look like? Many are longing for a "colorblind" world. Why would we want that? The biblical idea of this world is a beautiful mix of cultures, styles and preference. This mix is messy, but who said it would be anything else? Revelation 7:9 says, "After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could count, from every nation and all tribes and peoples and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, and palm branches were in their hands."
God desires a diverse body of people worshiping together. Don't get caught up in what the system is doing to combat racism. The issue is sin. Let us all work together to squash sin. Let us all create true, lasting change.
