“I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.” – Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr

Some see the victory of the Civil Rights Movement as the fulfillment of MLK’s dream above.  Others point to the election of America’s first Black president, Barack Obama, as the fulfillment.  I would say that while we have made inroads into eliminating external racism, there is much work yet to be done.  Society can dictate and indoctrinate us with laws and education to ensure a certain measure of racial equality, but there is only one way that anyone will ever change their heart, where they have eyes to see beyond color, beyond culture, to see a child of God, created for His purpose and His glory.  The Way is Jesus.

Much can be made about what should be done to eliminate sins of sexuality, abortion, racism, without looking to Jesus for the answer.  To the extent that we have victory over the external manifestations of sin without Jesus, all we have accomplished is created whitewashed tombs – we produce a salve for the souls of those who are perishing to deaden their hearts against the urgency of their deadly condition.  The world would sing our praises, but we would have accomplished nothing – in fact we are more likely to be found to be working against God and His plan for the salvation of sinners through Jesus.

Jesus was surrounded by rampant sinning in ways that would make people cringe today, yet His goal was not to stop the external sinning, but to put to death sin in the hearts of His followers.  A person can will themself to make external changes, but only Jesus can changes someone’s heart.  Consider Jesus’ words from the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5 – “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.  For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished.  Therefore whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.  “You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgment.’ But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be liable to the hell of fire.” “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart.“

Racism does not exist at the external level, it is a heart issue that views someone as less than a unique creation of God purposed for His glory.  It has its roots in pride, the same pride Adam had in the garden to desire to become like God.  This sin persists in the heart of men today to want to view themselves as greater than another.  That kind of heart has no place in a Christian, it is not the heart of Jesus.  Jesus rebuked his disciples for having prideful hearts in Luke 22:24-27 – “A dispute also arose among them, as to which of them was to be regarded as the greatest.  And he said to them, “The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them, and those in authority over them are called benefactors.  But not so with you. Rather, let the greatest among you become as the youngest, and the leader as one who serves.  For who is the greater, one who reclines at table or one who serves? Is it not the one who reclines at table? But I am among you as the one who serves.” 

I could go on about how Paul called himself the chief among sinners, how the apostles served others to the point of death in ministry of the gospel, how the early church spread throughout all of their surrounding regions without any pretense of greatness, save Christ alone.  The heart to serve and a unified Church reconciled to God and each other through Jesus Christ is all over the Bible.  I have a dream that one day I will hear with glorified ears the praise of God from every tongue of every tribe of every nation.  This is promised in Rev 7:9-10.  Until that day, we press hard into the ministry of reconciliation that we have been given, to proclaim the gospel of salvation in Jesus Christ to all people.  We ask God to remove all pride, to make our hearts like his to serve and love another another for His glory.  Only God can truly accomplish racial reconciliation because the root of the issue is a matter of the heart, but Christ is able to accomplish this and more.

Grace and Peace,

Adam