I recognize and lament that the past two weeks have been painful for many people. Primarily for the family of George Floyd since Mr. Floyd’s death was truly a tragedy. We should feel saddened by it and desire justice to be served for his memory. I would like to add that we should mourn for the people who have now been killed during the rioting as well (including David Dorn and Italia Kelly and 15 other people).

As I take notice of the responses, especially on social media, I feel compelled to share a few of my thoughts. This is definitely not a comprehensive post and I welcome your disagreements and comments – I would love to discuss more if you’d like. Some things I’ve been thinking about and asking lately include: how death is unnatural and so heartbreaking, why and how we should mourn, what does true justice looks like, what is racism and what is sin. Once we have done that research, how do we respond? We must respond by speaking the truth in love (Ephesians 4:15). What does that look like?

MADE IN THE IMAGE OF GOD

Anyone’s death is a tragedy because humans are all made in the image of God (Genesis 1:27) and death is unnatural – we weren’t made to experience permanent separation from our loved ones. Tim Keller speaks on this:

“Death was not in God’s original design for the world and human life. Look at the first three chapters of Genesis. We were not meant to die; we were meant to last. We were meant to get more and more beautiful as time goes on, not more and more enfeebled… Death is abnormal, it is not a friend. It isn’t right. This isn’t truly part of the circle of life. Death is the end of it. So grieve. Cry. The Bible tells us not only to weep, but to weep with those who are weeping (Rom. 12:15). We have a lot of crying to do.”

Of course, the manner in which Mr. Floyd died adds another level of emotion to the equation. We grieve in sadness and also feel righteous anger for the unjust manner by which it happened. God’s perfect law is clear in regard to taking someone’s life. Exodus 20:13 says: You shall not murder (Note: The Hebrew word also covers causing human death through carelessness or negligence). It is a grievous sin and God detests it more than any of us can imagine. The police brutality in this case is reprehensible and although nothing can bring Mr. Floyd back, we pray for justice to be served in the punishment of Derek Chauvin and the 3 other officers present.

The purpose of this post is to address the response of this death and the current self-examination and societal diagnosis of racism in America. Regardless of whether you believe systemic racism is pervasive in this country – and to what extent that is true – I would like to discuss the topic of personal responsibility of racism, prejudice, and seeking justice. I decided to respond in this way because I am seeing a lot of focus on this already. Facts and opinions can be provided on the topic of systemic racism, but I feel that it would be a separate post – there are a multitude of sources on this topic and I will list some below.

I acknowledge that the extent to which you believe in the pervasiveness of racism will impact how and if you are currently trying to eradicate it from your life, community, and society. In addition, we should consider how much the truth of this matters. I will be talking about this from a Christian perspective because I believe the best answers are found in the Bible for any question of life and I will discuss the shortcomings of the other methods circulating the internet during this time.

RACISM & SIN

According to the bible, racism is hate and hate is sin. Jesus taught that hate towards fellow humans is a very serious offense and the language in the Scriptures is harsh about hate: Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him (1 John 3:15). We are called to love our neighbor as ourselves and more than that – to count others more significant than ourselves (Philippians 2:3).

Something I have noticed is the subtle and not so subtle redefining of the term racism. From the Merriam Webster dictionary it is defined as: “a belief that race is the primary determinant of human traits and capacities and that racial differences produce an inherent superiority of a particular race.” Over the past week, I have seen several posts that label other attitudes – privilege, ignorance, apathy, and silence – as inherently racist. Today if you’re opposed to the riots, protests, etc. you are also deemed prejudiced. Sadly, I think the term ‘racism’ will lose its heinous meaning if we water it down too much. Matt Walsh recently spoke of this in his podcast: “For a lot of us, (in the current culture) you have so misused and misapplied and abused this term that it doesn’t mean anything any more.” This is a tragedy. True racism is a terrible attitude that can lead to worse offenses. However, if people who are actually not racist are repeatedly labeled as such, the term will lose its potency.

Currently, people are speaking about racism in a manner analogous with sin. The term has become too generalized when in reality it is a specific kind of hate. The rhetoric and perspectives have shifted to be so inclusive: It is pervasive, everyone falls into it - perhaps unwittingly. We are no longer talking about racism alone but sin. I do not believe that everyone is racist, but it is true that everyone is sinful. According to the Bible – (Romans 3:23) all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. We can sense that the world is broken, we are not perfect, and society is infected by many injustices: this is because of sin.

This transitions us into the solution. What do we do when we actually do find fault?

APOLOGIZING & REPENTANCE

I have also seen a large call for people to identify and apologize for their racism and privilege (for themselves and their ancestors as many claim the inheritance of this from former generations). I find this in a way similar again to the concept of original sin – meaning that we inherited sin from our forefathers – from the first sinners Adam and Eve. No one can escape it.

All week people on social media have been demanding their friends and followers to examine their lives and "re-educate" themselves. We are now told that we must take steps x, y, and z to be actively "anti-racist". The distinction is not necessary. If you are not racist, then it would logically follow that you do not support racism. I hear the recommendation for people to “speak up when friends make racist remarks” – do it, but ultimately you aren’t responsible for other people’s behaviors.

Blanket statements apologizing for non-existent issues are not helpful and are actually harmful. It provides a way for people to feel better about themselves while actually doing nothing at all. Speaking of white privilege Michael Knowles said this on his podcast:

“The trouble with white privilege is it allows some people to feel the goodness of whipping yourself and atoning for your sins and it allows other people just to hate you… It actually exasperates the worst parts of both of this because it makes some people aware of their imperfections but with nothing to do about it and it leaves other people ignorant of their own imperfections and breeds hatred and division in the country.” Michael Knowles

In addition to the posts telling people to apologize, I have seen videos of white people actually apologizing on their knees collectively for racism and chanting promises to not be racist in the future. I don’t see the virtue in this at all. By contrast the biblical concept of true repentance (of any sin) is invaluable. Repentance in the bible refers to a recognition of wrongdoing and a sorrowful attitude towards the One whom we sin against (God) see Psalm 51:4). Though we tend to think of sins – especially hate and racism – as being mainly against other people, we always first and foremost sin against the Lord. All are precious in his sight and are his – he is angry and downcast to see this strife. True repentance includes a heart that not only feels sincere and deep remorse for the act or thought, but actively turns away from this behavior. Jesus calls us to not only repent but to believe. He does not leave us sorrowful and downcast but turns our heads up to see Him. Jesus was sacrificed for our sins. He has paid for it all. He requires us only to turn our eyes to his saving grace (Ephesians 2:8-10).

WHAT SHOULD WE DO?

As I see the types of posts and suggestions being shared on Instagram and Facebook – I have found them insufficient to address the core problem of racism – no matter how pervasive you believe it has infiltrated our society. I’ve seen a lot of 10-step programs, 30-day challenges, 75 things white people can do for racial justice, charts and scales of racism to look at in order to: ‘determine your personal biases’, ‘re-educate yourself’, ‘check your privilege’, and ‘unlearn habits’ or whatnot.

As discussed above, true racism (and/or any sin) should warrant deep repentance and a turning in faith. During the Christian life, sin does not cease – we do still experience difficulty following God’s law. However, if you’re looking for a manual on how to love people correctly, don’t first turn to books on anti-racism and to checklists, but instead dive into the Scriptures which have told you already: Love your neighbor as yourself (Luke 10:27) and count others more significant than yourselves (Philippians 2:3). These simple truths and so much more – will sufficiently get to the heart of all issues within human relationships. If we create and follow nuanced lists we are, as they say, ‘treating the symptoms not the cause’. You may fall into the temptation of thinking that the work is done once you’ve checked off these 10 things.

I’ve seen many people share the ‘love your neighbor as yourself’ verse this week and this command in itself contradicts racism at its core. Racism is thinking that your skin color allows you to feel “inherent superiority”, but if we love someone as ourself, race is not a factor anymore. I love how Philippians goes even further – we aren’t just to treat others equal to ourselves but higher – truly sacrificial love places the other at the advantage. There is a lot more about this concept in the bible. In Tim Keller’s book The Freedom of Self Forgetfulness he states:

“True gospel-humility means I stop connecting every experience, every conversation, with myself… A truly gospel-humble person is not a self-hating person or a self-loving person, but a gospel-humble person… a self-forgetful person.”

Do you seek instruction for justice, love, compassion, peace, and truth? The depths of the Word are endless. And through the power of the Spirit you will experience true heart change. Hebrews 4:12-13 says this:

For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account.

If you truly want to cut deep into our soul with honesty and force – Scripture will do that. All scripture is breathed out by God (2 Timothy 3:16-17) and therefore God himself through his word will convict you. Do not settle for the easy, simple, and limited way to accomplish change. Submit and surrender to God’s authority and be truly humbled. I would argue that you are indeed fooling yourself if you think that any of these resources - videos, seminars, articles, charts, etc. are more sufficient, comprehensive, or realistic on this subject. I’m not saying anything found outside of the Word is useless, but it is neither as comprehensive nor as powerful as divine truth.

1 John 1:9 says: If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

TRUE TRANSFORMATION

Now someone who is not a Christian might argue: okay it's great that Jesus forgives, but how does it change you? Are you forgiven once and then sent on your merry way? No. Herein lies the difference between thinking about what we can do on our own and what the power of God can do in us. This is the truth that elevates Scripture as being the force that will result in the most change:

A. It is more comprehensive, true, helpful and
B. It has power (the Holy Spirit)

God uses his Word, and he transforms our hearts through the Holy Spirit. 2 Corinthians 5:17 says: Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.

JOHN NEWTON

One of my favorite posts this week was from Natalie on Twitter. She reminds us of God’s power to truly transform dark souls into true instruments of light in Jesus’ name.

“What changed the heart of John Newton, a hardened slave ship caption, who was responsible for promoting and participating in the African slave trade? The Gospel by the grace of God. That same Gospel by the grace of God cracks open stony hearts today. You won't get far chiseling at stone hearts with the weak tools of the world. They aren't equipped for that work. The Gospel is the pickaxe of truth that cracks the harvest of hearts and causes for true, everlasting change.”

John Newton went on to write the famous song Amazing Grace:

Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me
I once was lost, but now am found
Was blind but now I see

PSALM 19

I’d like to also share something I learned recently:

Earlier this week I read Psalm 19 with my friend Ashley in my front yard. We are doing the Amen study by Daily Grace & Co. and in parallel with looking at Genesis (the creation story) it had us also consider Psalm 19:1 which says: The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork. I love this verse (and recently created a stationery card with it). I decided to go ahead and read the whole Psalm instead of just the verse mentioned. I was truly humbled and amazed by the words I read. From the content of verse 1, I expected the whole psalm to be about creation – the world – and how God is the ultimate artist and his creation sings his praises. Verses 1-6 do this in a powerful way. But for verses 7 through 14 David, the writer, shifts to talk about the law of God. At first glance I was a little jarred by the pivot but by the end my eyes were opened. There is rich truth in the Word of God – you will uncover gems every single time you open it up. It has great power and I am in awe at how fortunate we are to have it at our fingertips.

Verse 7 says: The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple. (Psalms 19:7 KJV) There are 6 descriptions of the law (perfect, trustworthy, right, radiant, pure, and firm) and parallel phrases about what it does to the believer (converting the soul, making wise the simple, rejoicing the heart, enlightening the eyes). The transition from creation to the law is intriguing but what I’ve examined is that no matter how much you look at the world/creation – even the most beautiful sunsets and views of nature– the transforming power of Christ is found in his Word and understanding his laws, his order, his design, how we fall short, and then ultimately how he has redeemed us. In his commentary Matthew Henry says this:

“There is a reward, not only after keeping, but in keeping, God’s commandments, a present great reward of obedience. Religion is health and honour; it is peace and pleasure; it will make our comforts sweet and our crosses easy, life truly valuable and death itself truly desirable.”

The creation shows us God’s artistry, power, and glory but the divine word of the gospel is what has the power to transform – he can turn a heart of stone into a heart of flesh (Ezekiel 36:26). I looked up a couple different translations of the verse – the NIV says “refreshing” the soul which is beautiful but KJV says “converting” the soul – which I love because it shows the grand power of the Word to bring someone from death to life.

The more we read the perfect law (what God requires of us)—the more we see the depths of our depravity – and the greater we can rejoice in the joy of our salvation. And this is what transformation looks like: we don’t only dwell on our mistakes but we are reborn and renewed day by day. There is hope found at the cross. Jesus lived a perfect life, paid the penalty for our sins, and defeated death that we might repent and believe and have everlasting life in Him. (John 3:16, Ephesians 2:8-9, Romans 6:23).

In his sermon on Racial Reconciliation, Voddie Baucham speaks about true reconciliation through Jesus’ blood:

“You’ve been reconciled. And how? Through reading the right sociology books? How? Through feeling sorry enough about what your ancestors did to someone else’s ancestors? How? By having enough of your grievances addresses? No. The blood of Christ. Christ died to reconcile us to himself and to one other… Don’t you dare add anything to this. The blood of Christ is sufficient to reconcile us… This is why looking for reconciliation through other means is futile. It cannot be achieved. ‘For he himself is our peace.’” (Ephesians 2:14)

TRUTH & DISCERNMENT

Now, all of the above information is good and helpful, but how much does the truth about the pervasiveness of racism in our society matter? I don’t think that it invalidates anything I said above because we should all examine our hearts (to uncover any faults). Nevertheless, the truth matters immensely.

“We want to be empathetic. We want to ‘mourn with those who mourn’. But compassion at the expense of truth is not compassion. You are not loving people, you are lying to them. This is a sin (Colossians 3:9).” - Allie Beth Stuckey.

I listened to a podcast this week by Allie Stuckey (Relatable, Episode 258) and she started by asking 2 questions:

Is what you’re saying true?
And are the remedies being prescribed helpful?

We have discussed above whether the remedies being suggested are helpful, but we must also grapple with the question: is the narrative true? And what is true justice? Allie reminded us that God’s justice is truthful, impartial, proportional, and direct through both “punishment justice” and “recognition/ restorative justice.” I believe that the riots that are happening all over the country are not at all justified or helpful in any way. Peaceful protests are different for sure—our American laws allow for the right to peacefully protest, but deciding whether or not that is even necessary to do and what the desired end goal is – is another story. Should black Americans truly be fearing for their lives every day? What would be the impact if it were not the case? What are the facts on police brutality as it relates to race and what laws and systems are tainted by racism? These are the questions we must answer before believing and continually pushing this narrative. I came across this quote by Thomas Sowell this week:

“The reason so many people misunderstand so many issues is not that these issues are so complex, but that people do not want a factual or analytical explanation that leaves them emotionally unsatisfied. They want villains to hate and heroes to cheer - and they don’t want explanations that do not give them that.”

Fellow Christians especially, I would like to challenge you to think critically about this issue, consider the facts, and pursue true virtue and compassion. Another great podcast that I listened to this week is called Just Thinking. They said this:

“The church has to respond through the prism of what the Word of God says not reactive to the world and what the world is trying to lure us into.”

I strongly agree with this and have seen this week how the temptation for people to latch on to the trends of cultural responses is real. Apologizing for white privilege and for past sins of relatives is neither helpful nor truthful nor biblical. We should cultivate hearts of humility and gratitude not shame, jealousy, and guilt for something we don’t need to feel guilty about. I believe that privilege (defined as: a right or immunity granted as a peculiar benefit, advantage, or favor) has more to do with your socio-economic status growing up than your race and yes life is not fair — not everyone has the same opportunities as you. We can recognize this but it is unnecessary to ask forgiveness for it. Wikipedia defines white privilege as this: “societal privilege that benefits white people over non-white people in some societies, particularly if they are otherwise under the same social, political, or economic circumstances.” I have seen this graphic circulating the internet over the past week. It depicts a pyramid of overt and covert “white supremacy.” The bottom of the covert (socially acceptable) category even includes saying “there’s only one human race” and “denial of white privilege.” In my opinion, these labels are devoid of truth. And this again supports my argument that calling what isn’t racism/white supremacy as such is very unhelpful to the cause.

The Church can and should certainly recognize racism as a sin and condemn it (as I have done above) where it actually exists. If you truly have racism in your heart, please do repent—repent to God. But the church should also: seek truth & true justice, provide biblical responses to healing, promote biblical peace and reconciliation, and first and foremost point people to Jesus by preaching the Gospel as John MacArthur did last Sunday — saying this:

“(Over the past few months) we have seen what a physical virus can do. In the last 3 days we’ve seen a far worse virus: sin and what it will do when unleashed. And that virus affects the whole human race. It’s indiscriminate. And at a time when we would all admit that we need medical people to take care of the COVID virus, there’s no particular interest, apparently, for those who are appointed by God to take care of the spiritual virus of sin. This is the worst of all times for churches to be shut down… We are seeing a far worse example of the deadly reality of sin. The wages of sin is death and the only hope is salvation in Jesus Christ.”

Unfortunately, Christians know that racism will never be fully gone in this world because the world is broken and full of sinful people. Additionally, as Darell and Virgil said on Just Thinking:

“You cannot and will not have a social cultural solution to what is a spiritual problem.”

There are things we can do to promote justice in society, but ultimately this is an issue of the heart. As you consider different sources for supporting any idea or policy, I would encourage you to consider biases, look at comprehensive data, play devil’s advocate, and be discerning. Full transparency: my positions and perspectives on this and other issues have changed over the past year or so as I have been confronted with more information. Therefore, I am pretty well aware of the talking points in support of systemic racism, but if you’d like to discuss further let me know (feel free to email me). I can see an issue of police brutality, but not systemic police racism for example. I support the sentiment of ‘black lives matter’ but not all of their demands including the call to defund the police. For more information on the statistics of whether the narrative about systemic racism is accurate and/or hear other perspectives on these issues – see Allie’s podcast and Thomas Sowell’s YouTube linked below. I was also encouraged and challenged by Voddie Baucham’s sermon on Racial Reconciliation and his talk on Cultural Marxism where he shares his personal story and what the bible says about this issue also linked below.

Thank you for reading

If you made it to the end of this long post – thank you so much for reading! Including my resources and bible verses below.

Kaitlyn

RESOURCES:

The Bible: ESV, NIV, & KJV
Just Thinking podcast: George Floyd and the Gospel
Voddie Baucham: Racial Reconciliation
Thomas Sowell: Discrimination and Disparities
Voddie Baucham: Cultural Marxism and Defining Social Justice
Matthew Henry’s Bible Bible commentary
John MacArthur’s message on instagram
Allie Stuckey: Does the truth matter? (Podcast episode 258)
Michael Knowles Podcast: episodes 556 and 557
Reflections on Race, Riots, and Police article

Added book recommendations:

Cynical Theories: How Activist Scholarship Made Everything about Race, Gender, and Identity—and Why This Harms Everybody by Helen Pluckrose and James Lindsay
The Coddling of the American Mind: How Good Intentions and Bad Ideas Are Setting Up a Generation for Failure by Greg Lukianoff and Jonathan Haidt
The Quest for Cosmic Justice by Thomas Sowell
Discrimination and Disparities by Thomas Sowell