Fighting Hatred: A Christian Response to RacismSample

Day 3: The Trinity and Diversity

Today we turn to the mystery of the Trinity. At the heart of the Christian faith is an incredible mystery: God has revealed himself, not as a solitary being who existed in all eternity by himself, but he has revealed himself in and through Jesus as a community of persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. God is eternally united and undivided.

This is an almost incomprehensible mystery: how can God be both one and three at the same time? In God is this unity and diversity, and the grounds of diversity is difference, right? When we’ve looked at the issue of racism these past few days, we’ve seen that difference leads to division. But in God there's no division, there's only diversity.

Try to imagine for a moment that you're inside the Trinity right now. It’s hard to imagine seeing signs of division. Would Jesus claim to be best because he’s the only one in the Trinity with a body? Or would the Holy Spirit say he’s the best because he dwells in the hearts of billions of Christians? Or would God the Father say that his famous beard makes him the best? No! That’s not how God works, that’s not what the Trinity’s inner life looks like.

The differences in God don't lead to division, they lead to diversity and unity. The idea of division is antithetical to the very nature of God himself. Even though discrimination and racism breed division, God’s nature is to unite people. More than that, scripture tells us that humanity itself is made in the very image and likeness of God, this Trinity of persons, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. We can go back to Genesis 1: “God said, ‘Let us make humankind in our own image, according to our likeness.’” (Genesis 1:26.) We see God (who is singular) said let us (plural) make humankind in our (another plural) image.

The diversity, beauty, and uniqueness of the human family reflects God's image in the world. We are all called to reflect God's image in the world by our splendid diversity. And this shows us the deeper spiritual reality of the discrimination we’re talking about: racism is a sin because it attacks the image of God in another person. Man, who was made in the image of likeness of God, bears his image, and racism is an attack on another human being. It’s an attack on their dignity, and it's an attack on the image of God who dwells in that person. Racism defaces God in the world.

When we look at our brothers and sisters, we are called to see the image and likeness of God, no matter what their skin colour is. Racism is a sin because it attacks the image of God in another person.

Prayer:

Lord, give me the eyes to see you in my brothers and sisters. Give us courage to stand against those who attack your image and your beloved children. Remind us again that we are created in your image and likeness, in all your splendid diversity. Thank you for the diversity of your creation. Thank you that we are so different, individually, collectively. Amen.

Reflect:

1. Why is the unity and diversity within the Trinity considered a mystery?
2. How does the concept of diversity in God differ from the division we observe in human relationships?
3. How does racism attack the image of God in another person and affect their dignity?