Aug
30
Sin, not skin; grace, not race
Filed Under Christian Living, Culture, Current Events, Ethics, Resources, The Church
More than forty years have passed since the landmark U.S. civil rights legislation of the 1960s, and race is still the most divisive social issue of our time. This week I read suggestions that NFL quarterback Michael Vick was the victim of racism. One proponent of this view offered as evidence of white America’s preference of dogs to African-Americans the fact that Nat King Cole’s 1956 TV show was canceled after six months while Lassie enjoyed a 12-year run (but who sold more albums?). Noxubee County, Mississippi, where I lived and preached for seven years, just reached the final settlement of the first-ever Justice Department lawsuit of a black majority violating the white minorities rights under the Voting Rights Act. And how can I count the many little daily ways these issues pop up?
The September/October issue of 9Marks ejournal is devoted to the matters surrounding the Gospel and racism. The link takes you to a 61-page series of heavyweight essays and discussions entitled “Is There a Race Problem?” I have not read every piece yet, but the ones I have read are thought-provoking, even if some of them are a bit over-the-top, as people usually become when addressing these issues. Anti-racism, like abolitionism, is a Western concept, and always tinged with progressive self-(or others)-loathing. But how does the Gospel speak comfort to sinners and speak a call to radical discipleship to us in these issues? That is the most important question. The 9Marks ejournal offers some good biblical insight and also raises many other questions.
Take, read…I’d be interested in any comments from those who dare to do so.
Comments
Leave a Reply