No More Taboo: Addressing Racism and Culture in the ChurchExemplo

Day 1: Addressing Racism In The Church, pt.1

The Bible is phenomenal. It is a living, breathing fossil that we have the extraordinary privilege of excavating daily. It’s an ancient relic full of relevant inspirations, topics, and situations ranging from giant-killing lads to anointed apostles with human frailties and failures. 

Despite the beauty, inspiration, and antiquity of the Bible, the evil issue of racism can even be found within its pages, as every era of humanity has had to deal with it in one way or another. For example, Moses’ siblings, Aaron and Miriam, strongly opposed his interracial marriage. And the outright prejudice of Peter’s actions caused other believers to follow his negative example. This poor example caused Barnabas and other Judeo-Christians to separate themselves from dining at the table of Gentile-Christians for fear of how their Jewish brothers would respond (Galatians 2:11-13). This complex issue, while all too familiar in the world around us, also continues to plague the body of Christ, which causes one to wonder: will racism ever go away?

Racism is still a hot button issue. But simply because it is present in society does not mean it has to be reflected in the body of Christ. Jesus made the Gospel universal and provided hope to a dying world. The Gospel sees skin color, and offers hope. The Gospel sees class and status, yet offers hope. The Gospel even sees culture, and yet, still offers hope.