We have just celebrated the 4th of July (2020) and what a mixture it has been. For many, it was an anxious time in that dramatic changes are taking place in the country. These include the Covid-19 pandemic and the impact of the Black Lives Matter movement. Both of these issues are impacting America for good and for bad. The Covid-19 virus is a wake-up call to the frailty and uncertainty of life. There is no immediate place to turn to, neither the government or to science. Obviously a vaccine is the answer, but until it is proved and available, we are at the mercy of the disease. What has been a noticeable neglect in this has been a turning to God for his mercy and involvement (except for small exceptions). Our trust still seems to be in government and science and this is and will be to our detriment.
The Black Lives Matter movement is seen by many as a positive and refreshing direction in race relations in our country. There is no doubt but that many in this movement are sincere and want to do away with racial injustice, but the movement is also fraught with danger. The danger is the power it has and the arrogance it sometimes shows, especially towards anyone who may question its methods. Perhaps the other issue is its naivety toward solving race problems. To question any of its beliefs or methods is to automatically be deemed a raciest. What BLM doesn't realize is that its unwillingness to be open to dialogue and even hear opposing views dooms it to failure in being able to bring about real change in racial relations. BLM's intolerance will only produce defensiveness and an unwillingness to hear what BLM is trying to say. What BLM is perhaps forgetting is that real change has to be done by consensus, careful listening, and mutual respect.
Perhaps the biggest failure in changing race relations is realizing that marching, protesting, tearing down statues, debunking/defunding the police will do nothing to change human hearts. Racial prejudice is not a legal issue, it is rather a heart issue. People are prejudice because they have bad hearts, and the truth is that only God can change the heart. An example of this was the relationship between Jews and Gentiles in the first century. The hatred and misunderstanding between these two groups was beyond being profound. To come into contact with any Gentile was, for many Jews, to become defiled and unclean. For a Jewish woman to marry a Gentile was a capital offense punishable by burning. Within in a short time, however, the Christian Church comprised both Jews and Gentiles who did get along because through spiritual regeneration, their hearts were changed. The Jewish and Gentile Christians saw each other as brothers from the heart and not because of laws or political correctness.
The real answer to racial relations is to confess to God our prejudice and ask him to take away our cold, uncaring hearts. This will be a change that is real and permanent and will create an appreciation for the various races and the unique way that each race reflects the artistry of God.
