RACISM AND THE GOSPEL: SEEING WITH THE EYES OF CHRIST
Racism is not merely a social failure; it is a spiritual blindness. It begins when we stop seeing people as God sees them—not as souls, but as categories; not as neighbors, but as colors. The Word of God tells us plainly that “God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them” (Genesis 1:27). Before there were nations, before there were languages, before there were divisions, there was humanity—one race, made in the likeness of God. To despise another human being is, in some measure, to despise the image of God Himself.
The Gospel confronts racism at its root. At the foot of the cross, every human stands on equal ground—equally fallen, equally loved, equally in need of grace. “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23), and just as surely, Christ “has made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth” (Acts 17:26). The cross strips us of pride and reorders our vision; it teaches us that our truest identity is not found in skin, culture, or history, but in Christ—or outside of Him.
Racism thrives where fear replaces love, and where ignorance replaces relationship. But perfect love casts out fear (1 John 4:18). When we see others not as threats or stereotypes, but as neighbors—brothers and sisters in humanity, and potentially brothers and sisters in Christ—the walls begin to fall. Jesus did not love in abstraction; He touched lepers, spoke with Samaritans, welcomed outsiders, and died for sinners. He did not ask where they were from—He asked where they were going.
The Church must lead the way, not with slogans, but with Spirit-formed hearts. The world teaches us to divide and label; Christ teaches us to forgive and embrace. In Him, “there is neither Jew nor Greek—for you are all one in Christ Jesus” (Galatians 3:28). This does not erase our differences—it redeems them, placing them under the lordship of Christ, where every tribe and tongue will one day worship together before the throne (Revelation 7:9).
To defeat racism, we must learn to see again—through the eyes of Jesus. Every person we meet bears God’s image. Every soul matters. And until we learn to love our neighbor as ourselves, without qualifiers or conditions, we have not yet fully understood the heart of the Gospel.
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Lord Jesus, heal our vision. Remove every prejudice that blinds us to Your image in others. Teach us to love as You have loved us—freely, humbly, and without distinction. Make us peacemakers, witnesses of Your grace, and servants of Your truth. Amen.
BDD
