TSW ~ E.W. King: Christian look at Racism

Christian look at Racism

By Jerry Ousley

When I hear the word "racism" I immediately think of competition. I'm not certain why we chose the word "race" to define those of us who have different skin colors and facial features. When I think of race my first thoughts are of running. I've ran a few races in my life. There was a time when I was young, thin and had energy. I was a good runner then. But there was one race I didn't win. While in basic training during my U.S. Army days on a very hot afternoon, the drill sergeants decided to have us run a few relay races instead of doing our normal calisthenics that always ended with a two mile run.

I had joined the army a bit late in life; I was twenty-seven when I took the oath still a young man but old compared to most. They didn't care to let you know it either. I believe in those days (and perhaps still yet) the maximum age for first time enlistments was thirty-five. That sounded old even to me at twenty-seven. Anyway, we ran a couple of relay races and for the grand finale' the drill instructor broke our platoon into three groups and each ran a race. The losers had to drop and do twenty-five pushups. Remember that the average age of this group was probably twenty or twenty-one with a good number of them under twenty. It wasn't going to be easy running against these young bucks.

It turned out that I was the oldest member of my group so I assumed that I was going to be the one doing twenty-five pushups and decided to just run hard enough to keep up with the pack so as to conserve energy for those pushups that were sure to come. But about half way across the field I heard something; "Dog-tags!" I thought. It sounded as though at least one guy was behind me and if I could keep it that way then maybe I wouldn't have to do those pushups after all, so I poured on the coals and pushed with all the strength I had. Apparently the guy behind me was doing the same because I could still hear his dog-tags rattling. Finally the finish line and I knew I had beaten at least one guy! That is, until I heard the drill sergeant cry out, "Drop and give me twenty-five Ousley!" This wasn't fair at all! I had beaten at least one other man! I was about to protest as I looked around to see who had been behind me when I saw the problem My own dog tags had somehow worked their way around my neck; it was my dog-tags I had been hearing! I silently dropped and did those twenty-five pushups realizing that I had been racing against myself!

The word "race" is used to define a lot of other things, for instance a political race. Those competing for the office aren't physically running (although it might be a much more fair way of doing it), but they are each fighting to beat the other candidate.

Again, why we chose the word "race" in definition of human skin color and characteristics is beyond me. It makes it sound as if we are competing against each other, and maybe some are. It has been a source of hatred, violence, inhumane treatment, torture, and bigotry. Why must we be so mean, cruel and competitive about everything? I don't know why God made men to look differently. I'm not certain why He allowed the four different skin pigmentations. But when it comes right down to it we are all the same on the inside. We all have similar likes and ambitions. We all bleed the same color. Why must the world hate just because of skin pigmentation and facial features? Of course the first and most obvious answer is that it is a result of sin and the influence of the devil and both of these are true. The devil wants us to hate each other because of physical differences. He wants us to violently treat fellow human beings on the basis of these things because he wants to destroy us.

We ask the question, "What color is God?" Each may say that He is the color of their particular race. But the Bible doesn't tell us what color God is. No one has ever seen God in His full glory. Maybe He's green, I don't know. Or perhaps He appears as each of the skin colors depending on which one is looking at Him. Could it be that He is so bright in His glory that He has no color at all? No one knows the answer to these questions, nor does it really matter. The fact is that God is God. He made each of us just like we are and He loves each of us equally. His heart desires to be the God of all the races and in Him skin color is something He looks beyond. He sees people, hearts and souls that He has created to love Him.

So let's stop our competition that results in hatred, crime, war and violence and let's just do what we were created to do: Love God!