There are few issues as important to the function of society as the state of relations between the races. From a social standpoint, all of our cultural interactions are between various groups of people representing various racial and ethnic groups. From a theological viewpoint, we are told in the New Testament that our chief duty is to love our neighbor as we love ourselves. John’s first epistle, as well as other New Testament writings suggest that how we treat others is an indication of how we treat God. Thus it can be rightly said that this issue is of importance to a Christian community. Some would argue that the church has no business dealing with issues of race, that there is either no problem in this area or that society can solve any problem without interference from the church. However, these two assumptions are false. It is clear that there are racial inequities present in current American society; it is also true that the church has a biblical mandate to minister to the oppressed and proclaim the good news to those in need. If these two statements are true, then it is clear that the church should play an active role in overcoming racism and providing a witness to the rest of the nation of reconciliation and equality for all.
The United States of America is arguably the most racial and culturally diverse nation in the world. Diversity has been a part of this nation the moment that white European explorers encountered the continents native population. While many European peoples came here seeking a land of opportunity and freedom, another large population of people was brought here in chains, against their will, to work in the blossoming plantations throughout the new colonies. Separation from colonial powers such as England, France, and Spain did not slow the cultural diversity of America, but only quickened its pace as people from other European nations also came to the new country seeking new opportunities. As the nation grew, it enveloped smaller nations of natives, and Hispanic peoples immigrated and emigrated as political movements ebbed and flowed. By the time this nation’s boarders reached the Pacific Ocean and beyond, America had become one of the most expansive and diverse nations since the great empires of ancient Eurasia.
However this diversity did not come without a price. Rival ethnic groups arriving from distant shores competed with one another to find a niche in the new country. Whole ethnic groups were displaced and relocated time and again, as was the case of the continents natives. African-Americans endured centuries of slavery, and even after emancipation, faced a long and hard journey to economic, political, and social opportunity, a destination some think they have yet to arrive.
While it is clear that there have been major advancements in the state of race relations in the United States, some facts should convince a reasonable person that there is still work to be done. Native Americans are still generally economically confined to reservations where there is little opportunity for economic or political advancement. African Americans live in the most economically depressed cities, where education is abysmal and crime is rampant. African-Americans and Latinos are far more likely to be imprisoned than Anglo-Americans. Those minority groups often live in crowded, illegally substandard housing. Minority groups often pay a proportionally high share of taxes for fewer services rendered (such as education), statistical and anecdotal evidence also shows that minority groups are at a disadvantage finding and keeping a decent job. In the past two decades, urban areas have seen racially-motivated riots (Los Angeles 1992) and civil unrest leading to amazingly high street crime (Detroit, New Orleans, and Birmingham). It is clear from the persistent inequalities and palatable racial tension that something must be done.
But does this responsibility fall on the shoulders of the church? I believe that it does. The problems outlined earlier are not unnatural, devoid of logic or sense. These problems have been endemic to all societies across time and place. These problems are intrinsic to a self-interested human nature. Therefore the answer to these problems cannot be found through education, psychology, or economics, for all of these fields are derived from human thought and understanding. To gain illumination for understanding and correcting the problem, we must look outside of humanity. The sole source of wisdom outside of our own influence is divine revelation. The agent of communication of such divine revelation is the church and the church alone. It is not simply a matter of whether or not the church should help better racial relations, but it is the case that the church is the only entity with the knowledge and power to do so effectively.
