Diversity, equity, and inclusion are high values in our culture today. Although many are concerned about what’s been done against people of color, what prevents us from espousing a victim versus oppressor mentality? Pastor Lutzer articulates a biblical view of race, ethnicity, and unity. Christians have more in common than we realize.
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Transcript: Welcome to “5 Minutes with Pastor Lutzer.” Thanks for joining me again as we continue our quick survey of my book entitled, “No Reason to Hide: Standing for Christ in a Collapsing Culture.” As a matter of fact, at the end of this session, I’ll be giving you information as to how this book can be yours.
Chapter four of this book discusses diversity, equity, and inclusion. I want to begin by saying that these theories undoubtedly are used often times for good. That is to say there are those who believe that diversity, equity, and inclusion is necessary to level the playing field. And obviously we would all agree that people of color have often suffered disproportionately. But in this chapter what I want to show is that these theories, though perhaps well intended, actually work against race relations. These kinds of theories are tearing us apart—critical race theory and everything that goes with it. And of course, as a result of that what you have is race relations today that are even more divisive than years ago.
It’s very interesting to see how the Bible handles the matter of race. Strictly speaking there’s only one race. The Bible talks about people being of one blood. So what the Bible wants to do is to bring us together rather than tear us apart. There’s so much that can be said. As a matter of fact, I think I have five or six reasons why critical race theory is tearing us apart, rather than helping us get together. But I want to use the testimony of John Perkins.
John Perkins is a black American. You’ve probably heard of him. He has been used of God mightily in helping all of us with race relations. And this is what he says—by the way he was brought up in the south during the time of the Jim Crow laws which were very cruel, very unfair, and very unjust—and he says “I had learned to hate white people in Mississippi. And if I had not met Jesus I would have died hating them and carrying this hatred to the grave.” Now he goes on to say that he was beaten so badly by a white policeman that he was hospitalized. But he says, “After my beating” he says, “it was so severe I had to be hospitalized. I wanted to be a victim. For persons who see themselves as victims it is easy to be ensnared by pride. We can carry our pain as a badge of honor and try to whip others with it.” Now notice—it should bring tears to our eyes. “I have tried to be very careful since this incident not to use what happened to me to make me think I was better than my oppressor.” And he goes on to say that it is the white people in the hospital who took such good care of him that helped him to forgive and to move on and to work to bring the races together rather than tearing them apart.
I wish I had time to go into all of the biblical teaching regarding race. But in summary what the Bible says is that we are one race, yes, one blood, different ethnicities to be sure, but in Christ there is such a thing as a transcendent unity. And that’s what we must emphasize and that’s what we must demonstrate. To put it as succinctly as I possibly can, critical race theory keeps tearing apart what Jesus died to bring together. You know one of the great errors of critical race theory is its view of sin. The idea is that only some people with a certain skin color have sin and racism in their hearts and others don’t. We are all created in the image of God. We are all equal sinners. And we meet together at the foot of the cross. And we cannot help one another if we are simply shouting at one another across racial fences.
Would you take time today and ask God to help you to befriend someone of a different race, that is to say a different color, a different ethnicity? Become their friends; be a good listener and you might find that you have more in common than you realize. The title of my book is “No Reason to Hide: Standing for Christ in a Collapsing Culture.” If you go to the description of this episode, you’ll notice that there is a link that will enable you to know how this book can be yours. There’s so much more information but remember this: in Christ we are one. And as for today, just go with God.