The Demon of Racism: It’s Neither Black Nor White

In light of the racial turmoil our nation is agitated anew by the “Demon of Racism.”  The irony is that this repugnant demon does not discriminate, nor is it  isolated to the KKK, Black Lives Matter, Antifa or other fringe groups.  It does not discriminate against time, continent, people groups or leaders. Even  the most cursory glance back at history reveals with striking colors where this demon has reared its ugly head for all the peoples of the world to see.  If you look at our recent past and observe the horrific pain exemplified in the streets of many of our cities in America, you’ll notice this demon’s handiwork.  If you look to America's early beginnings, you’ll see it when Africans became enslaved in a new nation that ironically declared that, “All men are created equal.” It was glaringly prevalent during  the British colonization of many nations across the globe.  Adolf Hitler must have entwined his soul to this demon, because only this racist creature could have led him to eradicate  millions of Jews.  The Jews and the Israelites have been a particular target of this demonic diaspora having been targeted multiple times for extermination by this entity.  One need only remember the Egyptian enslavement of the Israelites for over 400 years or read the biblical account of the failed plan to exterminate the Jews by the advisor to  the King of Persia, that wicked Haman.  So, how should Christians deal with this ancient demon that is still alive and active in the earth?  Let me share my story with you.

I never really had to think much about this demon of racism until I met my husband in law school.  You see, I grew up in a culture where young ladies of Indian descent were forbidden from even entertaining the thought of marrying outside of our culture, let alone marry a black man.  So when I became friends with my husband I never thought of him as a potential husband.  I did not realize that this demon of racism was lurking around my own life.  I was seeing my friend and future husband through the lenses of my culture, a culture whose views of blacks were rooted in pride, ignorance and fueled by the invidious spirit of racism. It was only after we became good friends, and he expressed interest in dating me, that I was for the first time confronted with the generational demon that was seeking to build a home in me.  Of course, because of God’s grace and mercy and love for me, I realized the error of my own ethnic biases and chose to see my future husband though God’s lenses and not my culture’s.   It was in my own personal process of doing this that I realized that this demon of racism is really only possible to eradicate by doing one straightforward thing:  It’s a matter of simply loving others, regardless of race, as you love yourself. 

I know it sounds so cliché, love conquers all, love prevails, love wins, choose love not war.  However, the love I’m talking about is not a phrase or a mantra that may look cool on a customized t-shirt.  Rather, this love that I’m speaking of is alive, and it is a person.  Through Jesus’ death on the cross we have been given power over every demonic entity.  As the scripture says, “We wrestle not against flesh and blood but against principalities and powers and demonic forces in the heavenly realm.”  Therefore, when I see the demon of racism rearing its ugly head, I know that God has equipped His church to take authority over this spirit of fraud with specificity and power. However, in order for the church to effectively wield its authority in healing the racism in society, Christians must first deal with their own individual hearts and their cultures and in turn, raise up natural and spiritual sons and daughters who will be free from entertaining the demon of racism.  Seeing all people as created in God’s image sends this demon fleeing.

You see, imago dei (image of God) is naturally revealed in each person. It’s also what we in the Church teach our kids from their earliest days.  We teach them first that they are made in God’s image and their identity is based on that and that alone.  We have taught them that they must see their neighbors and their friends as bearers of God’s image regardless of creed, color or culture.  Because of this truth, they don’t have to walk around fearful or suspicious of people who don’t look like them. As a result, our kids have been brought up in a home where people they call uncles and aunts and best friends don’t have the same skin complexion as they have. I’ve heard Christian parents say they fear that because their kids are a certain color that they would be discriminated against and may suffer injustice in the workplace, or in education, etc.  But that belief is rooted in fear and not on God’s promises.  As Christians, we must teach our kids that because they are children of God, that the favor of God rests upon them.  We have raised our kids to believe only what God’s word says.  We teach them that God will open doors of opportunity for them and that no demon of racism or other evil can prevent it.  We teach them that if they obey God, that “goodness and mercy will follow them.”  We also teach them that if they are faced with opposition that they “wrestle not against flesh and blood” but that they battle opposition through prayer and fasting and loving their enemies. You see, we can tell them these truths because we have tested them and seen their effects in our own lives.  The truth is that loving God and seeing them through the eyes of love will always render the demon of racism powerless.

So as the church of Jesus begins to walk in love and continues to see each other as image bearers of Christ, only then will she have authority to deal with the demon of racism when it rears its ugly head.  I believe that as Christians we must examine our hearts and make a conscious effort to get to know and embrace those who look different from us. We must teach our children to see themselves and those around them as image bearers of God.  I believe that the church in America needs to continue to make a concerted effort to resemble her eternal family in heaven.  Our goal should be to have an earthly family that’s not segregated on Sunday but resembles her heavenly family that consists of  “every tribe, tongue and nation.”  As Christians we must be careful to not join in the heated rhetoric that puts the blame of racism on political parties or presidents.  Christ said “blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.”  And, as carriers of God’s power, I believe we are called to be Reconciliators.  As we do this we will become more effective as we go into our cities that are in pandemonium,  bringing and releasing permanent healing into those communities battling with this ancient demon of racism.  Jesus gave us the strategy to deal with this demon: prayer, fasting, and loving our neighbors as ourselves. If the church will employ this strategy we will give a major blow to this ancient demon and root it out from our nation.