“Now is the time to make justice a reality for all of God's children. It would be fatal for the nation to overlook the urgency of the moment.”
—Martin Luther King Jr. in “‘I have a dream…’ Speech at The March on Washington.”
Talking about race can be difficult and awkward. We may not be sure where to start. Hearing from differing perspectives can feel threatening and incoherent with our own deeply held worldview/s. Because the color of one’s skin shapes how we experience life, we need to begin the process of listening to start a conversation. As chaplains, we may be called on to minister through discussions like these with our patients and co-workers. Before we can do that, we will need to listen, grieve, and reflect on the ways we contribute to oppression and injustice. Only then can we better promote unity and justice for all God’s children.
The Scriptures are replete with statements that show that in Christ, all are his children regardless of race, gender, social, or economic status. Moreover, those not yet in Christ, are created in God’s image and reflect him through their humanity. Regarding the people of God, Revelation 7:9 talks about the kingdom reality of all races and peoples in a new heaven and new earth worshiping God. It says, "After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb.
In this text, we see the kingdom’s raison d’etre, every nation, tribe, and people worshipping the Lamb of God in unity, peace, and love. In the Gospels, the announcement of the Kingdom of God brought with it the calling out of a new kind of people, priesthood, and a holy nation. Christ has inaugurated a kingdom that breaks down the dividing walls of racial hostility and compels the people of God to reject the subversive power of racial superiority. When Jesus’ realized kingdom of blood-bought saints manifests it will embody equality and embrace racial diversity. Its law grants equal status to all those in Christ.
Knowing this, God’s will now is that there be racial unity in diversity. The Spirit of Christ encourages us as the people of God to participate in the tearing down of these racial structures that separate us. Certainly, this is already accomplished in Christ’s invisible kingdom that will manifest itself upon his return. But now we live in the ‘here’ of his kingdom and wait for the ‘not yet’ of his promises. But in the meantime, we work to make this reality true, here on earth, as it is in heaven. This is not Christianized jargon, but a fundamental issue in the kingdom of God. Justice and grace are the foundation of his kingdom of equality. The Spirit of God then draws us toward reconciliation with our sisters and brothers from all racial, social, and economic backgrounds.
Therefore, the kingdom of God is built on the foundation that anyone who believes in Jesus Christ is a partaker in his divine union. We know that there is both Jew and Gentile, but in Christ, they are united to him and receive the full benefits as children of God. They do not lose their racial/ethnic distinction but are embraced by the Father through the Son. All who are saved into the body of Christ equally receive all rights, privileges, and benefits of full inclusion as the people of God. We work to make this equality known to all.
To pastor both our patients and staff as worthy of our calling, it is important to begin this conversation, examine ourselves, and root out any idea or practice that is contrary to the Spirit of Christ. A little leaven permeates the loaf. Only then can we join hands and participate in reconciliation, justice, and mercy for all people.