Hate

There are two things we need to be sure of:

• Racism is a blight on human civilization and has been for centuries.
• Racism is merely a symptom of the disease that afflicts all humans.

That first statement has been well-covered lately, so I'm going to focus on the second because, if racism disappeared tomorrow, we would still be afflicted by the root sickness.

Immediately after the fall we see a husband turn on his wife. Shortly thereafter we see brother turn against brother. As soon as there were enough people, groups formed, and we have had group against group ever since. It has been family vs family, tribe vs tribe, nation vs nation. A man will side with people who live near him, people who look like him, and people who act/talk/think like him against those who don't. Human beings always find some way to form a group and exclude those who don't fit some arbitrary standard. Not just exclude; hate.

People say that children don't start out racist, they have to learn that. Maybe that's true. But they don't have to be taught to divide into us and them, to exclude those who are different, and to see themselves as better than the other group. Cliques form in elementary school. It's not long before we have cool kids, rich kids, athletic kids, and nerds. People don't really grow out of it as much as they become more sophisticated about it. People separate into groups based on where they live, how much they make, and what kind of jobs they do. And, of course, sports teams.

We do it so readily that it's easy to turn nation against nation if you can convince your people that "they" are somehow less than them. "They" obviously have inferior blood or an inferior ideology. We should kill them and take their resources!

What does God think of this?

The acts of the flesh are obvious: ... hatred, discord, ... dissensions, factions ... and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God. (Gal 5:19-21)

The fall of Adam caused two rifts. It created enmity between God and Man, and it created enmity between Man and Man. Jesus died to fix both.

As such, the Lord and the apostles have a lot to say about the situation we find ourselves in.

"He doesn't look like me." → "Love your neighbor as yourself" (Matt 22:39).

"He doesn't think like me." → "Love your neighbor as yourself" (Matt 22:39).

"He's been mean to me." → "Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you" (Col 3:13).

"But you don't understand what they did to me." → "Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: 'It is mine to avenge; I will repay,' says the Lord" (Rom 12:19).

"But he's a horrible, horrible person." → "Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you" (Luke 6:27-28).

"No, you don't get it; he thinks things that are backward and old-fashioned." → "We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves" (Rom 15:1).

"But I have rights. I have to stand up for myself." → "But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also" (Matt 5:39).

We have to turn our backs on the world's ways and follow the example of Jesus in the power of the Spirit.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. (Gal 5:22-25)

We will never heal the divides between people when we are constantly looking for new ways to exclude. That is sin, and it must be killed. It must be killed in the church so that we can show the world the way things are supposed to be. Then, perhaps, they will see that we have what they need — a Savior who can change hearts and lives.