There is no room for racism in the heart of a Christian. All racism is hate directed toward those created in the image of God. While the sin of racism is woven into the fabric of this nation—with a painful ripple effect still felt today—believers must reject all forms of prejudice. Jesus shed his blood for all mankind to bring peace, offer forgiveness, and break down the walls that divide us. When we come to the cross, where the ground is level and grace is freely given, we are empowered to love others with the same grace we have been shown. This is why pursuing racial reconciliation is vital for every believer.
As a church, we have worked for decades to fulfill the exhortation in Philippians 2:3 to value others above ourselves. This humility is the opposite of racism; it requires us to view others not merely as equals, but as worthy of greater honor than ourselves. Jesus served as our ultimate example. Though he was the Son of God and far greater than us, he humbled himself by coming to earth and dying on a cross (Phil. 2:5–8) so that we might find salvation. By adopting Christ’s attitude, we can actively work toward biblical justice and reconciliation.
We must adopt Christ’s humility and love toward everyone we meet, especially our brothers and sisters of color. In the wake of George Floyd’s death, we witnessed people of all races standing together in unprecedented support of racial justice and equality. In his famous “I Have a Dream” speech, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. spoke of his longing for unity, declaring that it would take both Black and white men and women standing together to make this dream a reality. Among the 250,000 people who gathered on August 28, 1963, at the Lincoln Memorial, many Caucasians stood side by side with their African American brothers and sisters. Addressing this unity, Dr. King said:
“The marvelous new militancy which has engulfed the Negro community must not lead us to a distrust of all white people, for many of our white brothers, as evidenced by their presence here today, have come to realize that their destiny is tied up with our destiny. They have come to realize that their freedom is inextricably bound to our freedom. We cannot walk alone.”
Indeed, we cannot walk alone. Here are three reasons why Christians must live out Dr. King’s dream each and every day:
1. Heaven will be diverse. So, you might as well get used to it now! We learn from Revelation 7:9 that people from every tribe, tongue, and nation will be in Heaven, worshipping God together. Shepherd Church is a multiracial, multiethnic, multigenerational church. So are many others; however, 300,000 churches in America still remain one color. This must change because a diverse church is a reflection of what heaven is going to look like.
2. Jesus came to break down the walls that divide. From Jesus’s eye-opening conversation with the Samaritan woman in John 4, to Philip’s conversation with the Ethiopian Eunuch, the Gospel crosses cultural and racial barriers and unites people in Christ’s love. Galatians 3:28 declares that in Christ, every wall is broken down, and we are all one family. That doesn’t mean we don’t see and appreciate our differences; it just means we don’t allow them to divide us. (See also Gal. 2:11–16 and Isaiah 52 and 53.)
3. When the world sees us lovingly care for all people … then they will see Jesus! In John 17:20–21, Jesus prayed to Father and asked him to make believers one, just as he and the Father are one. In verse 23, Jesus goes on to say, “… so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.” The world will see Jesus when they see us as believers loving others. Ephesians 4:2–5 implores us to, “Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.”
This is how we carry the baton of Dr. King’s dream, become ambassadors of reconciliation and peace, and win hearts for Christ. Amen and amen.