The latest Cephas Hour episode touches on one of the touchier subjects afflicting contemporary society, namely racism be it genuine or perceived. Artists in this episode are Abbey Sitterley, Bob Bennett, DeGarmo & Key, Kerry Livgren, Mylon & Broken Heart, Prodigal, Rachel Wilhelm, Steve Camp, The Choir, The Lost Dogs, and The Prayer Chain. 

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Businesses large and small, since the days of the BLM riots following George Floyd’s death, have force-fed their employees a barrage of seminars and mandatory reading material demanding they confront the racism within them. It does not matter if the employee is actually racist or not, at least consciously. Trust your overlords. You are one.

Now, in around two minutes, you can cover the ground these seminars and propaganda bursts attempt to cover in two hours. However, since this abbreviated yet far more powerful strangling of racism at its roots is itself rooted in Scripture, naturally, business avoids this at all cost. You see, today’s teachings involving diversity and inclusion viciously refuse to include Jesus as something other than a swear word. It’s high time to rectify this deliberate oversight.

The first of three Scriptures useful for both combating racism and the modern-day exploitation of racism as a means for a handsome living is commonly referred to as the Golden Rule.

Do to others as you would have them do to you.

This one verse single-handedly destroys racism. It is impossible for a believer mindful of Jesus’ words to treat others disrespectfully while demanding or even expecting respectful behavior from others toward yourself. There are no excuses for this based on skin color, gender, or any one of the multitude of dividers modern society has drafted and placed upon itself in the name of “celebrating diversity.” Society seeks to divide, one group asserting superiority over another based on whatever criteria it deems relevant. Jesus allows no such nonsense. He came for all, He died for all, and He rose for all. When He returns to this earth, it will be for all. Period.

The second scripture comes from Paul’s letter to the church at Colossae.

Here there is no Gentile or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all.

Remember how Nathanael, one of the Twelve Apostles, reacted when first told about Jesus? As John wrote:

Philip, like Andrew and Peter, was from the town of Bethsaida. Philip found Nathanael and told him, “We have found the one Moses wrote about in the Law, and about whom the prophets also wrote—Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.”

“Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?” Nathanael asked.

“Come and see,” said Philip.

When Jesus saw Nathanael approaching, he said of him, “Here truly is an Israelite in whom there is no deceit.”

“How do you know me?” Nathanael asked.

Jesus answered, “I saw you while you were still under the fig tree before Philip called you.”

Then Nathanael declared, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the king of Israel.”

Jesus said, “You believe because I told you I saw you under the fig tree. You will see greater things than that.” He then added, “Very truly I tell you, you will see ‘heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending on’ the Son of Man.”

There’s nothing new about looking down on someone based solely on their place of origin. Or skin color, culture, and so on. The Bible shows this is foolishness and contrary to the Word. As Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. said, “I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.” This was his dream. It is God’s command.

The final Scripture I’ll reference today comes from Paul’s letter to the church at Rome:

(F)or all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.

Much of today’s “debate” regarding race has nothing to do with racism itself. Instead, it is the monetization of illusionary grievances. The “anti-racist” and “white fragility” proclaimers have to insist that humanity, or at least portions thereof, is automatically guilty of racism and, in all likelihood, irredeemable. Otherwise, they’d be out of a job.

”Anti-racism” and “white fragility” are lies straight from the pit of hell. Christ’s substitutionary death on the Cross as atonement for our sins covers all sins, not solely those matching this week’s flavor. No one is beyond God’s grace. No one is beyond God’s power to save and transform. We must both remember and proclaim this when confronted by those who hate others based on skin color and skin color alone.