In a conversation on Racism and the UK Church, I asked why it mattered that Christians didn’t shy away from the dialogue on racism. It was helpfully pointed out that ultimately, we Christians have a better story to tell in response to this. The Christian worldview provides a consistent foundation for working through issues of racism and justice and offers real hope. I have been reflecting on this and I want to highlight five ways it does so.
It provides the foundations for justice
Apart from God, it is difficult to have or even argue for justice. Because justice assumes that there is a standard by which you measure what is good, what is right and what is fair, an objective standard. The bible gives us the ground for justice because justice is rooted in the very nature and character of God who is perfectly good and holy and just (Mark 10:18, Isaiah 6:3) and who sets the standard for good and evil.
In his justice, he delegates the responsibility to people made in his image to mirror him in this way (Jeremiah 9:24). He exhorts his people to ‘practice justice’ by treating people fairly and impartially by acquitting or punishing every person impartially, regardless of their status or race (Leviticus 19:15). But more than just punishment, it also provides the framework for giving people what they are due, whether justice, care or protection (Isaiah 1:17)
Such care and attention to justice is not only rooted in the character of a Just God but in the value he places on human beings. We as human beings have inherent worth, value and dignity because we are made in the image of God (Genesis 1:26). The Christian worldview therefore says that racism is wrong because it devalues and dehumanises people made in God’s image.
It allows for lament with hope
When we hear the heart breaking stories of people who have experienced racial injustice, sometimes the most helpful thing to do in the moment is lament. Lament allows us to give voice to our frustrations and hurts, it is a passionate expression of grief or sorrow.
Lament is something the bible is full of, there’s a whole book of the bible called Lamentations filled with heartfelt sorrow and cries of God’s people in exile. But the laments in the bible are not empty, they are not simply an avenue to vent frustrations and express grief, a cry into the void, they are grounded in hope and directed to a loving heavenly Father who sees and cares.
In the bible, lament is a form of prayer where we invite God into our pain, fears and frustrations so that we can experience his comfort and ultimately trust him (Psalm 13). And you can trust a God who has wept, been abandoned, abused, rejected and faced the biggest injustice in the history of injustices (Hebrews 4:14-16). Jesus Christ has walked with us, he weeps with us, he intercedes for us and will do something about injustice one day.
It frees us to expose and confess our sin
As more black people have opened up and shared what racism has looked like for them in recent weeks, it has become clear that very often racism in the UK is subtle. The dialogue has highlighted that our words, however innocent they may seem to us, can be hurtful and have a cumulative damaging effect; that the biases we hold are so ingrained within us that we don’t even notice the prejudices we hold until they are pointed out to us.
But none of this is news to the Christian who understands that God’s standard for what is right and good is so high, that the defence of “I wasn’t aware” doesn’t wash. In fact, his Law is so perfect and good, that after reflecting on its perfections and goodness, King David says in confession:
“But who can discern their own errors? Forgive my hidden faults” Psalm 19:12
He is asking for forgiveness not only from sin hidden to the observing eye but hidden from himself, done in ignorance. He had grasped the ugliness and depth of his own sin. We on the other hand tend to categorise our sin, reducing it to just things that we observe to be wrong in our actions when it is much deeper and more serious than that .
Our problem is not simply a lack of education (some of the most educated minds still share racist views) or a lack of shared life experiences (despite this, many people still lack the empathy to get alongside hurting people). The issue is our hearts, the issue goes down to the core of our very being. (Mark 7:20-23)
The reason for our bias, prejudice, indifference and careless words is because our hearts are corrupted by sin which affects every thought, word and action (Romans 3:12-18). I have watched in frustration as friends do their best to educate their neighbours on the struggles, challenges and ugly reality of racism, and are met with indifference and in some cases explicitly racist comments. Why can’t they just get it? Because contrary to what humanism tells us about the inherent goodness of people, the bible drops a reality check – their very hearts are corrupted by sin. This is our nature.
I believe this and many Christians believe this. But when we are faced with the reality of our own sin and prejudice, we are often quick to defend ourselves and our actions and look for others to affirm us in this. No one likes to be told of their faults, it hurts our pride, it’s uncomfortable and perhaps we avoid it because we feel condemned. But the gospel liberates us from justifying, minimising, ignoring or hiding our sin, because we know that it has already been paid for by Jesus, in its entirety. The Christian gospel offers forgiveness without diminishing the seriousness of sin (Romans 3:25-26).
This is good news because without the gospel, all you are left with after your sin is pointed out to you is guilt, which sometimes may modify behaviour but does not necessarily change your heart. The gospel says: don’t hide your shame, bring it to the cross, Christ has paid for it and forgiveness is sure (1 John 1:8-10). But more than that, the gospel through the Holy Spirit enables true heart change and transformation. And only when sin is confronted, confessed and dealt with is true reconciliation made possible.
It provides the motive for action – Love
The bible presents us with a God who is Love in his very nature, demonstrated at the cross. Why should I care about the suffering and injustice of another if it does not affect me or if I have a different experience? Because they are my neighbour and the God who IS love calls Christians to reflect him in that way. (1 John 3:16, 4:8)
But love in the bible is not a wishy washy feeling, it is an action word. Love does (1 Thessalonians 1:3). We are also told of what love does not… it does not “rejoice at injustice, but rejoices with the truth” 1 Corinthians 13 reminds us. So the gospel which says: now that you have been loved, go and love others, is the basis for not ignoring or being indifferent to the hurt and pain of others but to get alongside them and speak out for them. It is also what enables us to love in this self-sacrificial way. Here are just a few other ways that the bible demonstrates what love in action looks like that can be lived out in our churches and communities to reflect on:
1 John 3:16, James 2, Romans 12:13, 15, Hebrews 13:1-2, Galatians 6:2, Proverbs 31:8-9, Ephesians 4:29, 5:11
I mentioned above that education does not actually change our hearts, but it does make us more aware and informed which can help us understand our neighbour’s pain and difficulties. This can help us know how best we can support and love them and be a part of God’s grace to them in bringing comfort and bringing justice to them. We can practically live this out at school, university, work, out in the community and even online. And we do so because we are people of love, who have first been loved by God.
There is a future hope of justice and real diversity
The reality is that injustices will continue on this side of eternity as we live in a fallen sinful world. This should not lead us to shrug and not get involved, there is an earthly justice that we can achieve now as we engage at an institutional level in various ways. Things can be improved and changed.
But what hope is there for the unseen injustices, the ones that don’t get filmed? For the hidden prejudices that lead to unfairness? The Christian worldview gives hope for when there is no justice. We are given a picture at the end of the bible of both perfect justice being seen to be done (Revelation 19:11) and comfort for the sufferer. God himself will wipe away every tear from their eyes (Revelation 21:4-5). And more than that, there is hope for true diversity accomplished by Christ himself without the ugly stain of racism (Revelation 7:9-10).
This is the reason we act, and though we also weep, we do not despair. Our ultimate hope is rooted in the person of Jesus Christ. His death and resurrection has achieved salvation now, but the full reality of this will not be seen until his second coming. This gives us a certain hope in his plan for perfect justice and full redemption when he comes. He will surely do it!
