Tidbits for Thought

RACISM

Luke 4:18 “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because He has anointed me to preach the good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” Jesus quoted the above prophecy from Isaiah (61:1-2) right at the start of His ministry…. what might be called a divine mission statement. His mission would bring Him face to face with the evil in the world just as we face evil in our current world. Jesus was gifted with infinite knowledge which allowed Him to acknowledge that peace would more than likely be shattered when He confronted the evils that He came to destroy. ( Matthew 10:34) In our world today, we are faced with many of the same evils that Jesus confronted. I personally feel that one of the most prevalent and insidious evils we face today, is the evil of racism and bigotry…. one of the many evils that Jesus experienced and confronted while He walked on the earth. Unfortunately, in many cases, there is a certain group of individuals who call themselves Christian that are actively promoting this awful sin of racism and exclusion. Claiming that America is a “Christian Nation” while actively creating policies that directly harm the ones of a different color or ones who are marginalized or the immigrant is the very height of both religious and political hypocrisy……a sin that Jesus powerfully pointed out many times. I recently re-read a very powerful and insightful book entitled, “Racism, America’s Original Sin,” authored by Jim Wallis, who is a well- known Christian writer and activist. He points out that indifference and apathy to the sin of racism is one of the most insidious ways that has allowed the hate to persist and spread throughout history. Indifference and apathy are human failings of which each of us can overcome, if we so choose. It is simply a matter of motivation to, at the very least, be aware that a challenge exists. That simple knowledge could prompt us to pray for answers or direction or better understanding and then be prompted to do something, however small, to ease the sting of racism. Prayer could very well prompt us to reach out a hand to the individual who is being bullied or persecuted by bigotry in any of its hateful forms. Prayer might open our eyes to the plight of someone “different” who crosses our path today. Prayer might prompt the Spirit to move us to reach out with a word of encouragement or a murmur of forgiveness to one who is in need. Racism, at its root, is prompted by fear…. fear of someone or something different. Fear can be confronted and overcome with education. Fear can be confronted and overcome by prayer. Fear can be confronted and overcome by faith. Education, prayer and faith are all principals we find in Scripture…. principals that might change the way many individuals face racism. It is up to you and me to listen to the Spirit that moves us to convey that message to a racist world.

Think about it!      ~ Aron Smith