Racism & Roots
Racism is not a problem that arises out of the justice system. It does not arise out of law enforcement or the courts. It does not arise out of political parties. It does not arise out of religious organizations. Racism arises out of the hearts and minds of humans. Human beings bring their own racist presuppositions into the civil institutions in which they work... and into the church, synagogue, and mosque. THEREFORE SYSTEMATIC RACISM IS A HUMAN PROBLEM REQUIRING A CHANGE OF HEART AND MIND. Changing the law will only require more arrests, indictments, prosecutions and imprisonment.
Those who presuppose themselves better or more deserving than persons whose skin color is different than their own are lost in a swamp of corruption known as sin. All have sinned. All are corrupted. All may not be racist, but all have been corrupted and are corrupt. Sadly most of us do cherish or have cherished some corruption or other. The evidence has been building that case for 6000 years.
We live for the moment with no thought that we might actually be corrupt OR THAT WE MIGHT EVEN CORRUPT OTHERS! But we are more or less corrupt WHEN we look down our noses at OTHER “RACES.” YES? NO? We do this and show that we are individually and tribally narcissistic. Sin, - personal corruption and tribal narcissism and arrogance are the root, trunk and branches of racism. What can we do to eliminate racism when we are so self-absorbed? When “the collective” is corrupt where will it be led?
Now we are still individuals in any tribe or people or nation or collective we identify with. Wherever we find our security (safe place) and place of belonging we yet remain individually responsible for our words and actions. And we are not without power to act against the peer pressures that would keep us in political correctness toeing the party line? If we are powerless where shall we find power? And if empowered, to what new place of safety will we go? To whom will we now belong? With whom will we now identify?
Genesis 1:26-31 And God said, Let us make man in our image, like us: and let him have rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the air and over the cattle and over all the earth and over every living thing which goes flat on the earth. (27) And God made man in his image, in the image of God he made him: male and female he made them. (28) And God gave them his blessing and said to them, Be fertile and have increase, and make the earth full and be masters of it; be rulers over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the air and over every living thing moving on the earth. (29) And God said, See, I have given you every plant producing seed, on the face of all the earth, and every tree which has fruit producing seed: they will be for your food: (30) And to every beast of the earth and to every bird of the air and every living thing moving on the face of the earth I have given every green plant for food: and it was so. (31) And God saw everything which he had made and it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day.
Acts 17:24-28 The God who made the earth and everything in it, he, being Lord of heaven and earth, is not housed in buildings made with hands; (25) And he is not dependent on the work of men's hands, as if he had need of anything, for he himself gives to all life and breath and all things; (26) And he has made of one blood all the nations of men living on all the face of the earth, ordering their times and the limits of their lands, (27) So that they might make search for God, in order, if possible, to get knowledge of him and make discovery of him, though he is not far from every one of us: (28) For in him we have life and motion and existence; For we are his offspring, as certain of your verse writers have said.
Luke 1:26-38 Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a town in Galilee, named Nazareth, (27) To a virgin who was to be married to a man named Joseph, of the family of David; and the name of the virgin was Mary. (28) And the angel came in to her and said, Peace be with you, to whom special grace has been given; the Lord is with you. (29) But she was greatly troubled at his words, and said to herself, What may be the purpose of these words? (30) And the angel said to her, Have no fear, Mary, for you have God's approval. (31) And see, you will give birth to a son, and his name will be Jesus. (32) He will be great, and will be named the Son of the Most High: and the Lord God will give him the kingdom of David, his father: (33) He will have rule over the house of Jacob for ever, and of his kingdom there will be no end. (34) And Mary said to the angel, How may this be, because I have had no knowledge of a man? (35) And the angel in answer said to her, The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will come to rest on you, and so that which will come to birth will be named holy, Son of God. (36) Even now Elisabeth, who is of your family, is to be a mother, though she is old: and this is the sixth month with her who was without children. (37) For there is nothing which God is not able to do. (38) And Mary said: I am the servant of the Lord; may it be to me as you say. And the angel went away.
Isa 7:14 … the Lord himself will give you a sign: behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel [meaning God with us].
Luke 2:6-7 And while they were there [in Bethlehem], the time came for her to give birth. (7) And she had her first son; and folding him in linen, she put him to rest in the place where the cattle had their food, because there was no room for them in the house.
John 1:12 But to as many as did receive and welcome Him, He gave the right [the authority, the privilege](the power KJV) to become children of God, that is, to those who believe in (adhere to, trust in, and rely on) His name— 13 who were born, not of blood [natural conception], nor of the will of the flesh [physical impulse], nor of the will of man [that of a natural father], but of God [that is, a divine and supernatural birth—they are born of God—spiritually transformed, renewed, sanctified].
John 1:1-18 In the beginning was the Word. The Word was with God, and the Word was God. (2) He was with God in the beginning. (3) All things were made through Him, and apart from Him nothing was made that has come into being. (4) In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. (5) The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overpowered it. (6) There came a man sent from God, whose name was John. (7) He came as a witness to testify about the light, so that through him everyone might believe. (8) He was not the light, but he came to bear witness concerning the light. (9) The true light, coming into the world, gives light to every man. (10) He was in the world, and the world was made through Him; but the world did not know Him. (11) He came to His own, but His own did not receive Him. (12) But whoever did receive Him, those trusting in His name, to these He gave the right to become children of God. (13) They were born not of a bloodline, nor of human desire, nor of man’s will, but of God. (14) And the Word became flesh and tabernacled among us. We looked upon His glory, the glory of the one and only from the Father, full of grace and truth. (15) John testifies about Him. He cried out, saying, “This is He of whom I said, ‘The One who comes after me is above me, because He existed before me.’” (16) Out of His fullness, we have all received grace on top of grace. (17) Torah was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Yeshua the Messiah [Jesus the Christ]. (18) No one has ever seen God; but the one and only God, in the Father’s embrace, has made Him known.
Isaiah 9:6-7 For to us a child has come, to us a son is given; and the government has been placed in his hands; and he has been named Wise Guide, Strong God, Father for ever, Prince of Peace. (7) Of the increase of his rule and of peace there will be no end, on the seat of David, and in his kingdom; to make it strong, supporting it with wise decision and righteousness, now and for ever. By the fixed purpose of the Lord of armies this will be done.
(ASV) For there is one God, one mediator also between God and men, himself man, Christ Jesus,
(BBE) For there is one God and one peacemaker between God and men, the man Christ Jesus,
(CEV) There is only one God, and Christ Jesus is the only one who can bring us to God. Jesus was truly human, and he gave himself to rescue all of us.
(ESV) For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus,
(ISV) There is one God. There is also one mediator between God and human beings—a human, the Messiah Jesus.
(KJV) For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;
(TLV) For there is one God and there is one Mediator between God and men—a human, Messiah Yeshua,
Acts 17:16-31 Now while Paul was waiting for them at Athens, his spirit was troubled, for he saw all the town full of images of the gods. (17) So he had discussions in the Synagogue with the Jews and God-fearing Gentiles, and every day in the market-place with those who were there. (18) And some of those who were supporters of the theories of the Epicureans and the Stoics, had a meeting with him. And some said, What is this talker of foolish words saying? And others, He seems to be a preacher of strange gods: because he was preaching of Jesus and his coming back from the dead. (19) And they took him to Mars' Hill, saying, Will you make clear to us what is this new teaching of yours? (20) For you seem to us to say strange things, and we have a desire to get the sense of them. (21) Now all the Athenians and the men from other lands who come there were giving all their time to talking or hearing of anything new. (22) And Paul got to his feet on Mars' Hill and said, O men of Athens, I see that you are overmuch given to fear of the gods. (23) For when I came by, I was looking at the things to which you give worship, and I saw an altar with this writing on it, TO THE GOD OF WHOM THERE IS NO KNOWLEDGE. Now, what you, without knowledge, give worship to, I make clear to you. (24) The God who made the earth and everything in it, he, being Lord of heaven and earth, is not housed in buildings made with hands; (25) And he is not dependent on the work of men's hands, as if he had need of anything, for he himself gives to all life and breath and all things; (26) And he has made of one blood all the nations of men living on all the face of the earth, ordering their times and the limits of their lands, (27) So that they might make search for God, in order, if possible, to get knowledge of him and make discovery of him, though he is not far from every one of us: (28) For in him we have life and motion and existence; as certain of your verse writers have said, For we are his offspring. (29) If then we are the offspring of God, it is not right for us to have the idea that God is like gold or silver or stone, formed by the art or design of man. (30) Those times when men had no knowledge were overlooked by God; but now he gives orders to all men in every place to undergo a change of heart: (31) Because a day has been fixed in which all the world will be judged in righteousness by the man who has been marked out by him for this work; of which he has given a sign to all men by giving him back from the dead.
