DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- SYSTEMIC RACISM

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- SYSTEMIC RACISM

" 'Then He (Jesus) said to me (Paul), "Depart, for I will send you far from here to the Gentiles.' " And they listened to him until this word, and then they raised their voices and said, 'Away with such a fellow from the earth, for he is not fit to live.' " (Acts 22:21-22)

We have heard the accusation that Americans' are systemically racist. I don't believe that is true. What is true is that there are racists, but to paint an entire nation with the same brush is not legitimate.

It you want a picture of systemic racism, the Jews of New Testament times were truly racists. They were God's chosen people, and everyone else was lower on the totem pole.

In our text today, Paul was giving a defense of himself before the Jews. They had originally accused him of violating the holy temple by supposedly bringing non-Jews into the temple. That was a false accusation, but in his defense, Paul declared that God had sent him to the Gentiles. That really set off the Jews on a tirade against him, because they had no place in their doctrine for non-Jews.

We have discussed in previous Gleaning that God is not a respecter of persons, and neither should we be. We are all descendants of Adam. We are one race, and we are all equal because we have all sinned against God. That makes us one.

There is no place in the heart of the Christian for racism. I sang the song as a child, "Red and Yellow Black and White, they are precious in His sight. Jesus loves the little children of the world." And not just the children. God so loves the world – and everyone in it – that He gave His only begotten Son to die for our sins. We are equal recipients of God's grace when we receive Christ.

So sing it with me: "Jesus loves the little children, all the children of the world. Red and yellow, black and white, they are precious in His sight. Jesus loves the little – and big – children of the world.

Love, Dad