What Does God Think of Racism?

I know the face of racism personally, and it is a very ugly thing. I, a fair-skinned person of European descent, was born and raised in a little Southern town in northwestern Florida. My parents did not like black people, my town did not, and, confusing to me, neither did my church. I heard God’s call to me as a child of eight, and I recognized my need for His son, Jesus’ redemption of my soul then. The gospel message was brought to me by a Southern Baptist pastor of the church my family was attending. Because of this early commitment of my life to God, He kept me from accepting the lie that was all around me, the lie that my race was superior to others, and that anyone who was not of my race deserved to be treated with less respect. It was only His grace in my life that prevented this attitude from growing in me. I did not find out what my church thought of black people until an event in high school.

From 10th grade through 12th grade (1974-1976), I was in the Girls’ Ensemble chorus. Our director was a loving, Christian black woman. She loved everyone, regardless of color of skin, and had zero tolerance for showing disrespect to others, including an offence against someone because of the color of their skin. We had black and white members in our group. Our high school was about 10 miles from where I lived. Our ensemble did not just perform at the school. We also did concerts at churches, district and state school competitions, and other secular venues. We had a wide repertoire of songs which included Christian as well as secular songs, including songs in Latin, Spanish and Japanese. My director was looking for some churches for us to give a concert in, and I excitedly suggested mine. There was another girl in the chorus with me, who also attended there, too. My choir director called up my pastor to discuss it with him. Well, I don’t remember hearing the response from my choir director first. I remember getting the answer from my parents. One evening my parents sat me down and told me that my choir was not going to be allowed to sing at our church, the church that I was a regular and active attendee of, the one where I had been baptized at 9. Angry and confused, I asked my parents why. They said that it was because there were black people in my choir. I was shocked. Wasn’t God love? I could not believe my teenage ears. That’s what the pastor preached about up there in his pulpit. Well, my parents explained that our church believed that people of different races should worship separately, not together, in their own churches. And that was the end of that. I told my choir director the next day that I had heard we were not going to be allowed to sing in my church. She just compressed her lips together in anger and eyes full of sorrow and just confirmed that it was true to the choir. I think she gave a speech then, as she had on other occasions, how everyone did not love everyone regardless of race, and how some people would not understand us. On other occasions she would speak to us of God’s love as well. She walked the walk.

Her name was Barbara Beck. We called her “Mama” Beck, for she was like another mother to us. We shared our personal problems with her, and she took the time to listen in her office and give us advice or other help if she could. She opened up her home to all her “children”, regardless of the color of our skins. She had us over for Christmas and other special occasions. When we visited Washington D.C. one year, we did a concert at the church where her father was the pastor of an African-Methodist-Episcopalian (AME) church. There her father and the entire congregation, all black, welcomed us. They were all so friendly. Now that was God’s love exhibited to us. The kind of welcome my own church failed to exhibit.

When my father moved the family west to Colorado Springs, Colorado, things were different in the churches. The Southern Baptist churches there were of mixed race in the congregation. People of all races were welcome to attend, and they did. I was glad of that.

Hmm, but let’s see what God has to say about people of other races. Phillip proclaimed Jesus Christ to the eunuch of Queen Candace of Ethiopia in explaining the book of the prophet Isaiah that the eunuch was reading in Acts 8. He supernaturally moved Phillip from one place and dropped him out of nowhere to proclaim the news of the Messiah to this eunuch. But God gets real specific with Peter in Acts 10. Peter was sitting on the rooftop of Simon the tanner where he was staying in Joppa. The evening meal was being prepared below in the house. Peter was getting hungry while he was waiting, but he was praying anyway. Suddenly he fell into a trance, and had a vision of a sheet tied at each of its four corners, and filled with all manner of wild animals, birds, and creeping things, and it was let down right in front of hungry Peter. Suddenly, a voice which Peter recognized as God’s, said “Rise, Peter, kill and eat.” Peter took one look at the contents of that sheet and was horrified. All the creatures in it were “common” or “unclean” according to Levitical dietary laws in the Old Testament given by God to the Jewish people. Peter was an obedient Jewish person who loved Jesus and recognized him as the Messiah prophesied in the Old Testament. Peter responded to God that he had never eaten anything that was “common or unclean”. God sent the sheet full of animals down a second time, and told Peter not to call anything which God had cleansed “common” or unclean. God took it up and sent it down a third time for Peter to eat from, then took the sheet back up into heaven for the final time.

While Peter was trying to figure out the meaning of this vision, he heard a knock at the door downstairs. The Holy Spirit told him that three men were had come seeking Peter, and that he was to go with them. Not knowing all the details, but being obedient to God, Peter went downstairs and told the men that he was the one they were looking for. A spokesman for the three men told Peter that they were come from Cornelius, a Roman Centurion, a “just man, one that feareth God and is of good report among all the nations of the Jews”. He was also a Gentile, and according to Jewish customs, Jews were not supposed to visit in a Gentile’s home. A Gentile was a non-Jewish person, and considered unclean to be around. God told Peter that an angel had spoken to Cornelius and had told him where to find Peter, have him come to him, and hear the words that he would speak. Cornelius was in Caesarea. Peter was in Joppa, about 30 miles south of Caesarea on the coast. Peter housed Cornelius’ men for the night at his host’s place, and left with the men the following morning. Some Christian brethren from Joppa accompanied Peter as well.

When Peter arrived at Cornelius’ home later that evening, he found a house full of people. Cornelius had invited all his relatives and friends to come hear the words that Peter would say to them. Cornelius met Peter at the entrance and knelt down before him, worshiping him. Peter told him to rise up and not do that because he was just man also as he was. When Peter saw all the people gathered, he understood the meaning of the vision that God had given to him. The first thing Peter spoke to them was how it was unlawful for a Jew to “keep company or come unto one of another nation,” but God had showed him that he should not “call any man common or unclean.” Peter then asked Cornelius why he had summoned him.

Cornelius explained how he had been praying and fasting to God and on the fourth day a man in bright clothing appeared and spoke to him. This person, probably an angel, told Cornelius that his prayers had been heard, and to send for Simon Peter. The angel told Cornelius where to find him, and that Peter would have a message from God for him. So Cornelius told Peter essentially “So here we are, now please give us the words that God has given you for us.”

Peter looked out at the crowd and said, “Of a truth, I perceive that God is no respecter of persons: But in every nation he that feareth Him and worketh righteousness is accepted with Him.” Then Peter proceeded to preach the good news of redemption through Jesus Christ, and how he was one of the witnesses of Jesus Christ’ miracles and resurrection from the dead after His crucifixion. The Holy Spirit descended on the Gentiles who believed that day, and afterwards Peter baptized them in water.

God is no respecter of persons. God loves everyone, regardless of what ethnic background they have, or the color of their skin. He wants all nationalities to come into His Holy Kingdom. Therefore, if God loves them and desires them to be with Him, we should love them as God does and treat all with respect, and not hold back the news of redemption from them.

Besides, it would be a very boring world if we all looked alike. I like to think of the different colors of skin in people like a rainbow. (Now please, I’m not talking about the politically correct rainbow here) The rainbow would not be so beautiful if it consisted of only one color. The various colors in it are part of what make it so beautiful. Someone who is different than you are is not automatically evil. So go out today and try to get to know someone or at least better understand someone who is different than you. Trust me; it will be a very personally enriching, mind-expanding experience for you.