From Ahmaud Arbery to Breonna Taylor to George Floyd, our country has been rocked recently with tragedy. The coronavirus (remember that?) has now taken the backstage and the topic of racism is once again brought to the forefront. Over the past few days, I’ve sadly scrolled through my social media feeds and have seen tense comments and angry arguments thrown about by my brothers and sisters in Christ, often accusing each other of being part of the problem.
Satan would have the church divided, and I cannot help but see a devilish grin crack across his face as he sees American Christians bicker amongst themselves while a gap that may have started in quarantine now grows wider in our churches on this sensitive topic of race.
So many well-meaning Christians have made statements in person or online that placed emphasis on the wrong subject, were poorly constructed, or sorely misconstrued. Lack of clarity on social media has caused some of us as Christians to begin to resent each other. I hope that by laying out five basic principles, we can begin to achieve unity in an area that is fraught with emotion. Every Christian ought to believe these five statements.
1. RACISM IS WRONG.
Period. The idea that a certain ethnicity is superior or to be favored above others is damnable. In the eyes of God, there is no difference between Jew and Greek, black and white, and male and female (Romans 10:12, Galatians 3:28). All humans are bearers of God’s image and deserve to be treated with dignity (Genesis 1:26). Furthermore, interracial marriages are not things to be criticized (Numbers 12:1-2). No marriage is perfect, because every marriage is made up of two imperfect people. If you think you can somehow improve the chances of a marriage being more godly or more biblical simply by matching up the spouses’ skin color, God disagrees with you.
Discrimination against someone based solely on the color of their skin is sin.
2. LOOTING AND RIOTING IS WRONG.
Anger and outrage at the fact that a human being was carelessly and unnecessarily killed is totally justified, and I share that outrage. What is absolutely inexcusable is taking these tragedies as an opportunity to steal, kill, and destroy the property and livelihoods of innocent people (Exodus 20:13, 15). Stephanie Wilford has no place to go now, and these criminals of opportunity are the people to blame. Zola and Kris, who had spent four years investing in their business, found their store looted and vandalized. Crime is still crime.
I also believe, though, that you cannot judge the merits of a movement based on the actions of a few. While looting and rioting is wrong, it is important for everyone to remember that the looting and the rioting in no way invalidates the message of those who peacefully assemble and protest, just as the actions of a few police officers do not invalidate the merits of all law enforcement personnel.
3. POLICE BRUTALITY IS WRONG.
Excessive force, going beyond what is allowable by law, is wrong. Police officers, while they are a higher power (Romans 13:1), are subject to the law, just as every other citizen is. United States citizens have the freedom from excessive force as found in the Fourth and Eighth Amendments (source), while a police officer is authorized to use force only in proportion to the threat (source). Law enforcement is an occupation that inherently requires a cool and calm temperament, and as such, any police officer who demonstrates tendencies to the contrary must at the very least be scrutinized. However, I reiterate, if we are going to be consistent, just as looters and rioters do not represent the majority of civil rights protesters, racist police officers do not make up the majority of those in law enforcement. It is vital that we remember that you cannot and must not judge the majority based on the actions of the minority.
4. THE ONLY SOLUTION IS THE GOSPEL.
Unfortunately, morality cannot be legislated. You may be able to legislate behavior, but ultimately, it is the heart that must change in order for behavior change to be true and permanent. We live in a fallen, sin-cursed world, and racism is a sin that is present just as all the other sins in the world are present.
Furthermore, racism is not a sin that only affects police officers. Assuming we could eliminate all racism from the police force where it exists, what could we then do? Could we stop every single discriminatory act from every person? Could we silence every racial slur that ever slipped past the lips of every person? It would certainly be wonderful to not feel like you were being targeted by law enforcement, but what about the whispers behind the back that leave you feeling no less targeted and hurt?
I wish it were different. I wish there were a way to magically eliminate this ugly sin. My heart breaks for the families and the very real people affected by these tragedies of late. And if there is a program, a mechanism, or a tool that helps us vet potential police officers better, I am all for it. However, the only way that any lasting change is to be made is through the gospel of Jesus Christ. No ideology, philosophy, program, or person can encourage you to love someone else better than the God who created that someone else.
5. ONLY THE CHURCH HAS THE GOSPEL.
This brings me to the final statement: only the church has the gospel. How can the church make a difference in the world by withholding the only thing that can heal it? Avoiding the public forum and disavowing the less fortunate in our society is not what Jesus did. We find Jesus in the public square all over the four gospels; we find Him with both the richest of society and the poorest, with the most lovely to the most unlovable. Have we forgotten that?
The gospel must be carried to everyone, and we are the ones tasked with carrying it (Matthew 28:19-20). Unfortunately I suspect that there has been more meme-sharing than gospel-giving. More important than getting your political point across is the godly endeavor of sharing the heart-changing news of salvation with that person with whom you’d probably rather win an argument. Find one of our black brothers and sisters and tell them that you are grieved and angry as well about these recent events. Pray with them. Try to understand their point of view. Find a police officer and tell them you are praying for their safety. Thank them for their service. Let us be about our Father’s business.
This matter was too serious of a subject for me to simply share a witty meme in response to what is happening right now. I hope that my brothers and sisters in Christ from both the Black Lives Matter and the Thin Blue Line camps would trumpet a message that far surpasses both of those causes: the gospel of Jesus Christ, the hope of glory.
Aaron, I agree with what you have written – very well said. I would add a couple of observations. The toxic nature of much of our public discourse stems from the failure to follow the admonition in James 1:19 – that we be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to wrath. Unfortunately, there are many, including Christians, who do not heed the wisdom of this verse. The use of the word “listen” in this passage is of great significance. Hearing is the act of discerning sound. Listening is more – it is hearing with the intent to understand. In my opinion, true listening has virtually become a lost art. Few seem to care about understanding another’s experience or point of view, particularly if that person is not part of your “tribe” – the group you identify with, be it based on race, ethnicity, age, gender, religious beliefs, politics or some other affinity or affiliation. Unfortunately, many Christians who act and react based on their “tribal” inclinations are creating stumbling blocks for both non-believers and believers that Paul described as having a “weak conscience,” which I interpret to mean someone who has not yet matured in their faith and understanding of the Scriptures. Thus, we must take care to be “quick to listen” and very slow to speak. When we do speak, it should be in a way that exudes the love of Christ and avoids creating a stumbling block to the Gospel. Coleman
I couldn’t have said it better! Christians, of all people, ought to be listening to understand, not necessarily listening to respond. Thank you for reading!
I understand there are differing perspectives to consider. I don’t want to waste time on a lengthy discussion here, yet I would like to share a couple of thought provoking questions that I have considered regarding the matter of George Floyd.
1) Why did the police arrest Mr. Floyd in the first place? (I’m not condoning any brutality.)
2) What happens in that city should stay in that city? Don’t spread gossip!