Racism, Sin, The Gospel, & Gospel Unity:
A Commentary on Charlottesville and Our Response
"The usually quiet university city of Charlottesville, Virginia, erupted into chaos Saturday when far-right extremists gathering for a "Unite the Right" event clashed with counterprotesters, leaving more than a dozen injured and several under arrest.
The day turned deadly when a car plowed into a group of counterprotesters, killing a 32-year-old woman and leaving 19 others injured, five critically. The driver was charged with murder in the afternoon incident that a bystander described as 'the most horrible thing I've ever witnessed.'" #ABCNews
As the news from Charlottesville erupted, my Facebook news feed was cram-packed with posts about the incident. What was striking to me, was not that it was being reported or re-reported, and not that bigotry was being condemned, but what was missing: the solution. My Facebook is populated by believers, but all night I saw nothing of the gospel. As I tried to open dialogue with people, my confusion only intensified as I was seeing some friends of color take to stero-typing and generalizing about white people: making ethnic and cultural distinctions that have nothing to do with the gospel.
So, let's get down to brass tacks.
Jesus' incarnate ministry and mission was to live His life fully God and fully man, perfectly in every area we have failed. ...and we have all failed regardless of our pigmentation. Then he bore our sin and God's wrath for it, suffering the most unspeakable shame and pain in world history, being buried and rising again the third day for our justification, so that we could be restored to fellowship with the Triune God.This is the gospel.
After His Gospel mission was complete He prayed His high priestly prayer. "And I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, keep them in your name, which you have given me, that they may be one, even as we are one."
I think that is the part that people are missing, sadly even in the Christian community. We are not united by making distinctions, but by recognizing and owning our Gospel heritage...our Gospel-created family. We must be salt and light as the preserving agent and illuminating source exposing truth: the truth about sin and drawing attention to Jesus. One of my friends beautifully stated, "Just my two cents: (coming from an African American who is not only hated by whites but blacks too... I'm mixed... go figure) I think if you're an unbeliever you see racism as the problem, but if you're a Christian you know that at it's core...the stuff that's underneath racism is just Hate, which is sin."
I fully agree. When we fail to identify the actual sin at the root of racism, we cannot effectively bring the gospel as the remedy.
As the news from Charlottesville erupted, my Facebook news feed was cram-packed with posts about the incident. What was striking to me, was not that it was being reported or re-reported, and not that bigotry was being condemned, but what was missing: the solution. My Facebook is populated by believers, but all night I saw nothing of the gospel. As I tried to open dialogue with people, my confusion only intensified as I was seeing some friends of color take to stero-typing and generalizing about white people: making ethnic and cultural distinctions that have nothing to do with the gospel.
So, let's get down to brass tacks.
Jesus' incarnate ministry and mission was to live His life fully God and fully man, perfectly in every area we have failed. ...and we have all failed regardless of our pigmentation. Then he bore our sin and God's wrath for it, suffering the most unspeakable shame and pain in world history, being buried and rising again the third day for our justification, so that we could be restored to fellowship with the Triune God.This is the gospel.
After His Gospel mission was complete He prayed His high priestly prayer. "And I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, keep them in your name, which you have given me, that they may be one, even as we are one."
I think that is the part that people are missing, sadly even in the Christian community. We are not united by making distinctions, but by recognizing and owning our Gospel heritage...our Gospel-created family. We must be salt and light as the preserving agent and illuminating source exposing truth: the truth about sin and drawing attention to Jesus. One of my friends beautifully stated, "Just my two cents: (coming from an African American who is not only hated by whites but blacks too... I'm mixed... go figure) I think if you're an unbeliever you see racism as the problem, but if you're a Christian you know that at it's core...the stuff that's underneath racism is just Hate, which is sin."
I fully agree. When we fail to identify the actual sin at the root of racism, we cannot effectively bring the gospel as the remedy.
My plea and my message to my friends is to not let the enemy of our souls get a foothold, but to live in accordance with His revealed will for us, and as He prayed to His Father and our's "that they may be one, even as we are one." Let us live and pray likewise for His glory and the furthering of His kingdom.
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