George Floyd was murdered.

Much has been said about it, and much more will continue to be said. I don’t speak as someone with any intimate knowledge of the situation. I don’t speak as someone with any real credibility in combating these issues. But I am white, and I guess that is a pretty good starting point.

I took an African American culture class in college. I’ll never forget it.

I’m not really sure what I expected to get out of the class other than desiring to learn more about African Americans. Many of the people I have looked up to over the years are black, so I guess I wanted to gain more of an understanding of their culture and also make some sort of tangible effort to bridge the race divide.

Going into the class, I never thought of myself as a racist person. Never called anyone by the n-word. Never really thought of someone less because they were black. I didn’t even believe that race was a real thing. Needless to say, I assumed much of the course content pertaining to racism would not apply to me.

When we started talking about white privilege, however, I started feeling uncomfortable. At first, I internally denied the notion of being privileged whatsoever. I didn’t like how that sounded. It rubbed my pride the wrong way. God then softened my heart to see that it wasn’t an attack on white people, but that the fabric of our society was still stained with the blood of millions of slaves.

I began to realize the deep roots of institutional racism were still firmly in place despite years passing since the Civil War and civil rights movement. I had incorrectly categorized racial injustice and oppression as a “that was then” subject.

We frequently discussed police shootings of unarmed black Americans and for the first time, I began to understand that there is a fundamental difference in experience between a white person and black person. It was not one isolated case that my African American classmates saw when another hashtag came across their timelines. These are incidents that in some way, are consistent with the dark history of their ancestors reminding them that legacies of the past are still alive and well.

Racism is more than the explicit examples almost every white person condemns. It affects the daily experience of black Americans in a way that a white person like me cannot ever really understand. It pains me to think about my own inward biases and participation in this great evil of which I was not even aware. It is here that I rejoice in the mercy and forgiveness of Jesus Christ and gratitude for my black brothers and sisters who have put His glory on display through patient endurance, humble faithfulness and forgiving as Christ has forgiven.

Racism is wrong, but not because we say it is. God is the first one to be outraged by this heinous sin. He created man in His image. There were no exceptions based on pigmentation. When we say that someone is subhuman for any reason or treat them as such regardless of the condition, we claim we know better than God.

I am continually challenged by God’s words in the book of Philippians, chapter 2 where those who have believed in Jesus are given some pretty straightforward instructions on how to live:

“Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.” Philippians 2: 3-8

We are told to “count others more significant” than ourselves and to look to the interests of others. The reason why? Jesus did this for us. He “emptied himself” and laid His life down, even though He was God in the flesh. He humbly accepted the death that each man, woman, and child deserve for their sins. This isn’t merely a physical death but a judgement that is worse. The just wrath and separation from a perfectly holy God. If we acknowledge our sin and receive this gift of forgiveness, we have eternal life with Christ.

Counting someone more significant than our self seems to be at the very least grieving with them when they grieve and listening to their pain, not being so quick to dismiss their hurt. In light of what Christ has done for us, may the people of God be ones who bear the burdens of others and examine this current climate in light of the historical threads to which it is linked.

 

More scripture to consider on this topic:

Genesis 1:27 – God created mankind in His own image.

Psalm 139:14 – We are fearfully and wonderfully made.

1 Timothy 5:21 – Do nothing out of favoritism.

Colossians 3:13 – Forgive as the Lord forgave you.

Ephesians 4:32 – Be kind and compassionate to one another.

Exodus 22:21 – God instructs the Israelites to not mistreat or oppress a foreigner.

Galatians 3:28 – All are one in Christ Jesus, there is no distinction.

James 2:4, 8&9 – No favoritism.