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People are different. Some have dark skin, and some have light skin. Some are short, some are tall, some have straight hair, some have long hair, some have blue eyes, and some have brown. But the amazing thing that the world seems to miss is the transcendent and obvious reality that we are all human; we are all strikingly similar. We all have skin, eyes, hair, and so on. We all have minds to think, wills to act, emotions to feel, and bodies to live in. The similarities go far beyond the differences. The problem for humanity, however, is that something has gone wrong. We have a sin problem; thus, we maximize the differences, rank and judge them, and do whatever we can to exalt ourselves at the expense of others. We, for whatever silly reason, think that our nuances of appearance are superior to somebody else’s. This leads to degrading comments, racism, destruction, division, and hate.

But there is good news. God is not racist, for God is love (1 John 4:8). God is not partial, for God has made all people (Galatians 2:6). God wants none to perish, and that is why He gave up His Son to bear our sins so that we could be forgiven and be changed from the inside out. We can by faith have Jesus within us to teach us to love, to be impartial, and to see others as God sees them. Rather than get caught up on the differences, we could see that we are all His creation. We could see that we are all fearfully and wonderfully made. All people groups, tribes, and tongues are His masterpieces. Once sin’s hold is broken when we receive Christ, we can be one as we perceive and appreciate God’s wonderful, masterful artwork. Until then, we will be mired in racial strife and struggles.

Did God make race? God made genetics which, over time, led to various physical differences. God created Adam and Eve, within whose genes, the capacity for all of the humanity that we see before us existed. God always planned for physical differences. So what’s the point? The bottom line is that in God’s mind, there are no races, per se, only people groups, tribes, and tongues. In other words, we are all one race- human. Who was Adam? According to Luke 3:38, he was the son (small "s") of God. Who then are we? As descendants of Adam, we are all ultimately the offspring of God. In fact, Ephesians 3:14-15 says, "For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name." Race implies that some people are better than others, more highly evolved, more human, etc. Though differences exist by God’s design, we are all created by the Father. Our last name as humans, we might say, is son and daughter of God. Granted, we need to be forgiven in Christ to be adopted into God’s eternal family as children, but from a standpoint of existence, we are His offspring. As Paul says in Acts 17:28 of all people, "For we also are His children."

This is where racial unity and reconciliation alone lies. It lies in oneness that alone is found in Jesus Christ. We must acknowledge Him as our Father from a physical, genetic standpoint. Going back to Noah’s sons post-Flood and even all the way back to Adam, we are all offspring of God. We are all family; we are all, albeit distantly, related. Why curse a relative? Why hate family? It doesn’t make sense, but we do because of sin. Thus, we need to acknowledge God also as our spiritual Father. We need to be adopted as sons and daughters into His eternal family (John 1:12-13). Then, as with Paul’s example of Jews and Gentiles in Ephesians 2:14,16, we can be one. Paul says, "For He Himself is our peace, who made both groups into one and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall…and might reconcile them both in one body to God through the cross, by it having put to death the enmity." There is no peace other than through Christ. Reconciliation with one another comes only after we have been reconciled to God in Christ.

There won’t be any racism in heaven, for the redeemed from all peoples will be one as God intended them to be from the beginning (Revelation 7:9-10). For now, let’s love as Jesus loved so that we can bring a little taste of heaven to earth, not ignoring differences but neither forgetting our commonalities, most importantly, that of Christ’s love for all mankind. There is one hope for racial unity and reconciliation, and that is when Jesus is received as Lord of all (Ephesians 4:4-6).

"Refreshment in Refuge" from Gina Burgess

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