Unity and Racial Harmony
Recent events in Charlottesville VA have raised much concern about the sad state of relationships between people. Most people did not like what happened and want to live in a more loving and accepting society. Yet, our society undeniably still carries racism and bigotry within it. Many within our Church family, people we know and love, have lives that bear the marks of these evils perpetrated against them personally.
Your Pastoral staff are issuing this statement as an expression of how we feel and think on the matter of racial harmony. For starters the Bible speaks of one race and one blood and that is a good place to begin discussions. All expressions of hatred, intimidation and violence such as those seen in Charlottesville by white supremacist groups were very disturbing beyond equivocation. The root idea of racial supremacy is horrible and divides society; it must be vigorously rejected! We reject it! How we respond to hate speech and how we attempt to change society is very important. We believe the revealed truths of God about mankind found in the Bible are foundational for harmony within the wonderful diversity created by God. The 1st page of the Bible tells us that every human being is created by God and bears the image of God. We have a common dignity rooted in creation. We have a common ancestry in the 1st Adam; we come from the same family. The 3rd chapter of Genesis tells us about the fall of the entire race in Adam into sin; we are all born slaves to sin. The idea that one racial group is superior, more important or above another racial group, comes from our corrupted sinful hearts, not from God or His word.
God's solution was to send His Son Jesus who became one of us, sharing in our flesh-blood experience. His perfect life and perfect sacrifice for the sins of the whole world, provide the only way back to God and the only way back to each other. When we embrace God's salvation in Christ we are delivered from sin's power over us including false ideas that divide people by color, gender, language or social standing. We stand with the Word of God, which proclaims that in the eyes of God we are one, with no exception, no inequality, what is true of one is true of all. God’s family is for all ethnicities!
"There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus."
Gal 3:28
In Christ we can stand together and truly say, 'You are my brother and you are my sister'. We are one at the deepest level through Christ our Lord and Saviour. We live out these spiritual family bonds by following our big brother, the Lord Jesus. Therefore we say no to hatred or belittling of any person and together we proclaim the supremacy of Christ alone.