Fighting Hatred: A Christian Response to Racismনমুনা

Day 5: My Responsibility For Racism

Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn was a political prisoner in the Soviet Union, locked away because he was a critic of the oppressive Communist system there. He wrote this: “The line separating good and evil passes not through states, nor between classes, nor between political parties, but right through every human heart.” The dividing line between good and evil lies in every human heart. This is especially true when we look at the issue of racism. Racial discrimination is not abstract. It doesn't only happen on the other side of a world, or on the other side of the country; it’s inside of us, because sin is inside every human heart.

When we read new stories or see videos of violent injustices perpetrated on people solely because of their race, it’s a good time to reflect and pray on a deeper level, even though images like that can feel painfully common.You can say, “Lord, show me how I have contributed to the racism I see in the world. Show me how I have contributed to the evil that I see in the world.” When you pray this, you might be shocked from what you find. You may be brought back to moments when you were younger, when you made jokes you shouldn’t have, when you used a hurtful word, or even when you stood by in apathy while somebody else attacked the image of God in another person.

You can continue that prayer and seek God’s forgiveness for what you have done, or what you haven’t, for even the small ways you may have contributed to the injustice that you see in the world. You can also pray that the church would be a place of healing, inclusion, and safety, and that you would play a key part in that change.

You can finish your prayer thanking God for the gift of diversity: “God, I thank you for this beautiful tapestry of the human family which you have woven together. When we are united in love in our diversity, we reflect your image in the world.”

Prayer:

Lord, show me how I have contributed to the racism I see in the world. I am sorry for the ways that I fallen short of your plan for a diverse world. I ask for your forgiveness for the way I have been apathetic and complacent towards the cries of those who suffer injustice. I pray that you would make your church a place where all would be included, all would be safe, all would be loved, and that together we can reflect your image to a broken and hurting world, that together we can reveal your love, that we can be an icon of Heaven on Earth. Lord, we pray that your Kingdom would come on Earth as it is in Heaven. Amen.

Reflect:

1. How does Solzhenitsyn's quote challenge us to recognize the presence of both good and evil within our own hearts?
2. How can examining our past actions lead to a deeper understanding of our own shortcomings and need for forgiveness?
3. How can we build a church that fosters healing, inclusion, and safety for all individuals, regardless of their racial backgrounds?
4. How can we build the Kingdom of God on Earth beyond our church walls?