Grace & Peace,

Ed C

Thanks for dropping by. Good questions all. Race is one of the realities of the world we live in today, particularly in the United States, with its checkered history of race relations. Right or wrong, so much of what we are today as a nation is driven by race, class, and culture.

I’m not sure how helpful the terms “racism” or “racist” are anymore. Good, substantive dialogue is often shut down once those words are bandied about. I will say that discussing issues of race, class, and culture does not automatically mean you’re “playing the race card” or practicing racism. There’s a growing belief today among many folks that if we’d just stop talking about race, racism will go away. I’m not so sure about that. I think honest, informed, and grace-filled diaglogue is a prerequisite to overcoming the many issues (racial and otherwise) that divide our nation and world today.

Mike G, thanks for your helpful response. I think you frame the matter perfectly.

However, there are a couple complexities I’d like to raise.

You speak of “disliking” people based on behavior. What if you chose not to dislike people, no matter what? Radical? Most people think so. I don’t. When I dislike someone, I am certain it is because of the sin in me, not their behavior. How do I arrive at this?

Jesus likes me. I know He does. But, how could I be anything but annoying to Him, based on my imperfect behavior? In fact, if anyone should dislike others, it is Jesus, for He is the only human who ever behaved! He is surrounded by people who don’t act right. And yet, He likes us.

You might say, “Well of course He likes us. He’s Jesus. But I’m not Jesus.” That is the point. Why does Jesus like us? Is it because we don’t sin and misbehave? No. It is because there is no sin in Him. He can be patient and kind to us, in spite of our bad behavior. He likes us because of His goodness.

If that is true, then it must also be true that if I don’t like someone it is because of the lack of goodness in me. So, I resolve to like all people, and if I fail, I will fall on the grace of Jesus and ask heaven for “a little help?”

Color matters. God made colors. Skin color matters. But for the good, not the bad.

Ultimately, all have value based on being made in the image of God. But none are good but God. I am thankful for the color red –the color of the blood of the Savior who makes us all holy.

When I dislike a person, it is because of their behavior, not the color of their skin. I don’t see what the color of skin has to do with anything. If I like someone, it is because I believe they are a nice person, someone I would like to share my time with, again, not the color of their skin, not the amount of money they possess.

Do I dislike any black people? Sure, the same as I dislike some white people and people of other ethnic groups. Why, because I dislike their behavior. I dislike their rudeness, their meanness, their disregard for authority, their vulgar language and all the things that follow those lower standards of living.

My friends are a diverse group of people because I have had the opportunity of global travel. I have friends of all different shades of colors. I think they are all beautiful because their hearts are souls are good, and that is what is important to me.