Though it is hard for me to admit it, along with all of the good America has done, America has a history of racism since its founding. Even though the word wasn’t coined until recent times, racism is as old as the hills and twice as dusty.
I grew up in a family where I heard the Bible from the time I was born, many times each week including Bible clubs, classes, church, Christian camps, Bible studies, memorizing hundreds of Bible verses, attending a Christian High School and even getting a bachelor of theology degree . Yet, in all of that (and because of my age it could be my memory), I don’t recall hearing one message about racism. But racism is identified and condemned throughout the pages of the Bible. Sure, I was aware of the Jewish-Gentile conflict, but I think I internalized that as a difference of belief systems, and not based on different ethnic groups.
As a side note, I am very thankful my parents raised me in a manner in which they demonstrated by their actions, they cared about all people, regardless of race. One way I learned compassion was from my mom who was always for the underdog. It was difficult to watch a game with her though–her loyalty to a team would change throughout the game depending on who was behind.
One of the great things in Christianity is that the personalities in the Bible are shown with their many of their flaws and they are not in any way made out to be superior to others.
A great example of this is when Paul called Peter out for acting racist. Yes, wherever you have people you will have, racism regardless of the racial composition of the group.
It is ironic that the person to whom God provided a special encounter to show him that he should not treat others of a different race as if they were inferior, is the same one called out by Paul as acting racist.
In the early church, which started after Jesus left his disciples, the church leaders had acknowledged salvation was available for all, regardless of race. Peter’s mission was to take the gospel to the Jews, while Paul’s mission was to take the same message to all of the other ethnic groups.
Having acknowledged that, Peter ate and fellowshipped with the other ethnic groups. But he changed when other Jews came from the church in Jerusalem by distancing himself from the non-Jews. His actions even caused Barnabas and other Jews to practice that same racism.
Paul described the actions of Peter and Barnabas as “they were not acting in line with the truth of the gospel.” Speaking of irony–these were people who were committed to sharing the message of God’s love that provided a way for man to have fellowship with God–and yet they were acting in an unloving manner and building racial barriers to keep people apart.
Some want to keep the conflict just about food, circumcision and other rituals. But Peter in his summation of the encounter he had with God, he said it was about associating with those who were not of his ethnic group.
Martin Luther King Jr. claimed Sunday morning is the most segregated hour of the week. Unfortunately, that is largely true still today which has given rise to cultic groups who prey on those who feel disenfranchised. Next week we will look at some of the origins of this segregation.