I like to learn. Eleven years ago I started seminary at Claremont School of Theology. I was so happy to be back in school. That first week of classes, however, was a bit of a culture shock. At the chapel there was a fiery preacher. She was a year or two ahead of me. Her name was May, and she was short, black, and loud. She told a story about how over the summer she visited a family member in prison. In the visiting area her loved one kept looking over his shoulder and would not relax or focus on May and what she was trying to tell him. She got frustrated and said to him, “You are making me uncomfortable!” Finally he looked at her in the eye and said, “You need to get comfortable being uncomfortable.”
May took this phrase and applied it to theological education. She told all of us that in order to learn and grow as human beings and disciples of Jesus we needed to “Get comfortable being uncomfortable.” She made us say it to one another. Just doing that made me uncomfortable.
Right now the world is talking about racism, and it’s uncomfortable. Racism is a sin. It is a way of placing greater value on white skin over black and brown skin. That is what racism is, and it is against the will of God.
Saint Paul dealt with racism. Through God’s missionary activity people came to faith in Jesus, but their skin was different than what other Christians were used to at the time. Some people insisted that you couldn’t be a Christian if you didn’t have the right kind of skin. This made Paul very angry, and he wrote long letters to teach people that your skin does not save you. He wrote, “While we were living according to skin, our sinful passions, aroused by the law, were at work in our members to bear fruit for death” Romans 7:5.
Paul makes the point that living your life based on skin only leads to death. It arouses hate, jealousy, and fear all of which are very destructive. Paul gets right to the point when he says: “For the wages of sin is death.”
Romans 6:23. Furthermore you are not able to overcome sin on your own. You need help. Paul says over and over again that we are slaves to sin.
I have heard many people say to me lately, “I’m not racist.” What I hear in that, is people saying, that they believe that racism is wrong. Amen. However, what do you think if I told you that I am not a sinner? I don’t sin. If you were even a little critical you would question how true that is. No matter how hard you try, you are not capable of overcoming your own sin. As a human being you will always be vulnerable to sin. Since racism is a sin, you will always struggle with racism too.
But thankfully, that is not how the story ends. Paul goes on to say, “but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” Romans 6:23. God saves from sin, including the sin of racism. It gets better. Not only does God save you by grace, and not by your skin, but God will reward you when you live by faith. Jesus said:
“Whoever welcomes a prophet in the name of a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward; and whoever welcomes a righteous person in the name of a righteous person will receive the reward of the righteous; and whoever gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones in the name of a disciple — truly I tell you, none of these will lose their reward” Matthew 10:41-42.
When you see past skin color and welcome all people regardless of what they look like as if they were righteous prophets and disciples of Jesus, you will be rewarded! You will be given opportunity, security, and prosperity.
When I was a new student at Claremont School of Theology I had a class called, “Systematic Theology for Ministry.” It was a really good class. One of the books we had to read was called, “Introducing African Women’s Theology.” As we discussed Christianity in Africa I commented how effective the Lutheran church had been in introducing Christianity to Africa.
After my comment another student put up his hand. He was a black student. The professor called on him. He said, “I would like to question the idea of Christianity being introduced to Africa as a recent event. Isn’t it true that many of the early church fathers, writers, and theologians were African? Such as St. Augustine of Hippo.” The professor said, “yes that is correct.”
My classmate went on to say that Christianity was not exactly introduced to Africa from Europe, but maybe even the other way around. The professor also affirmed that statement. At the time I didn’t quite feel ashamed, but I did feel uncomfortable. I had made a statement that showed my ignorance of church history. It was a moment when my own bias was confronted and even though it was uncomfortable, I was left with a more full understanding of Christianity.
Martin Luther, who was from Germany in Europe, changed the world and rocked the church to its core. Yes Lutheran missionaries have and still do go all over the world to share the gospel. But Luther was greatly influenced by the early church fathers, and especially by St. Augustine of Hippo who was African. Now 500 years after Luther I was sitting in Systematic Theology learning church history from a classmate who was black!
Jesus said whoever welcomes a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward. Welcome righteous prophets and disciples into your life. You will be blessed because you did!
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