One of the lines we draw is that of race—a human creation that tells us that skin color, hair texture, facial form, and other physical traits matter; that based on those factors, some people have more value than others; some people belong and some do not; some people will receive privilege and some will be disadvantaged.
We live in a world of lines. We also live in a world to which God has come in Jesus Christ to proclaim God’s love, to announce God’s intention that we live without lines, to reveal that God works to free us to cross the lines and ultimately, to wipe them away.
The lines we draw say our value comes from some external characteristics. Racism—structuring life along the lines of race—is a sin that violates God’s purpose for humanity and is contrary to the gospel of Jesus Christ.
God makes us to live together. We are not made for separation but for each other. We are not made for individuality but for community. We are not made for division but for love.
Jesus invites his followers to join in God’s work through ministries, wiping away the line of race and other lines—reaching out to others, loving one another. That is not easy. It involves changing ourselves and our understanding of ourselves. It involves laying aside our privilege. It involves doing new things and doing old things in new ways. It involves respecting deep, profound differences. It involves give and take.
On Race Relations Sunday, we confess our complicity in creating and maintaining lines of race throughout life, including within the church. We celebrate God’s vision of life together. We commit to confronting the lines of race, and we renew our intention to live according to God’s vision.
The Presbyterian Peacemaking Program provides a variety of resources to help congregations confront the lines of race and work for racial justice, including:
- Commitment to Peacemaking, #70-270-03-024, free, a tool to help Presbyterians engage in racial justice and other peacemaking ministries
- Worship materials available on the Peacemaking Web site.
- Living the Gospel of Peace: Tools for Building More Inclusive Community, #70-270-04-014, $3.00, a study written by Eric H.F. Law that teaches a variety of tools for the task of wiping away lines and living together in the diversity God creates
- Facing Racism: In Search of the Beloved Community, #70-270-98-002, $1.25, a five-session study for youth and adults, by Rev. Lonna Chang-Ren Lee
- Antiracism training, in partnership with the Office of Racial Justice and Advocacy; call (888) 728-7228, ext. 5698 for information
- Advocacy Packet on Global Racism are available on the Peacemaking Web site. Produced by the Presbyterian United Nations Office for the 2001 World Conference Against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia, and Related Intolerance
Wipe away the lines. That’s the invitation and the challenge of the gospel. Live together as God intended and embrace our God-given diversity. God promises through the gospel that God loves us and makes us for each other. On Race Relations Sunday, we hear anew the invitation, confess that we fall short of the challenge, and renew our challenge to live into the vision. May God grant us grace to do so. |
