CULTURE UNDER CHRIST
John 13:34
A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another.
Culture is valid, but it can never become more important than Christ. His Word is our reference point. The question is, what would Christ say about this person? What would Christ think about that group? On the personal level, you can make a commitment to deal with people on the basis of their character, not by the color of their skin. Individually, we must apply God’s standard to our relationships, not the stereotypes our culture or the media may give us. Keep in mind that superficial racial relationships patterned on paternalism will dissolve before any lasting connection can be made.
Only through repentance and forgiveness done first and foremost on a personal level will we be free to forge relationships that allow us to embrace dignity and diversity. We also must deactivate racism both by resisting it when it rears its ugly head and by refusing to allow it to create in us a victim mentality that cripples us from maximizing our potential under God. As an African-American, I can say to other African-Americans that we need to remember the past and learn from it, but we cannot be so chained to the past that it keeps us from responsibly moving forward. We cannot become so blinded by blackness that we lose our vision altogether.
REFLECTION: What kinds of commitments have you made to others of other cultures or people groups? How can you deepen such connections? Where have you let your own culture be a limitation? Lord, You have called us to love one another and we have done this imperfectly throughout history in our nation. God, I pray for another chance to demonstrate that love fully between the races and that You will lead us in this regard.
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