"The Lenses of Reformation Concerning Illinois Governors and State Racial Equality"
by Dr. Patti Amsden
by Dr. Patti Amsden
Mankind, including all races and ethnic groups, began when God created Adam and Eve in the garden. God decided to create a human family and elected to include the assistance of mankind in the formation of that family. Unlike His heavenly angelic family who God individually created as a host, God endued Adam and Eve with the ability to partner with Him in the propagation of a family. All humanity is, in fact, from a single blood line as both the Scriptures and modern science have absolutely proven. That which makes mankind scientifically different as human beings is less than 1% of the total DNA makeup.
Reformation lens #1 – “And [God] hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on the face of the earth…”—Acts 17:26
The differences between the races are tied to God’s choices for specific ethnic gifts and endowments. God creates diversity, uniqueness, and variety. In the individual, God supervises the formation of the baby in the womb to imbue the child with specific qualities and abilities (Ps. 138:13-18). In the nations, God appoints their boundaries, their resources, and their portion of earthly inheritance to the end that they would present back to Him the glory and honor found in their assigned portion (Rev. 21:24). Sociological differences that result from historical events, economic or educational opportunities, and cultural norms add more uniqueness into the array of the human family.
Reformation lens #2 – The Creator created uniqueness and specialties in each individual and each ethnic group, and God expects humanity to embrace rather than reject those diversities because He assigns value to those differences.
Since the fall of man in the Garden, humans have been in conflict with God and with one another. The core foundation of sinful behavior rests upon the misuse of power to gain the outcome that each person deems most expedient to his or her goal of being like God or of being sovereign. To attain the highest position guards against loss of provision, reward, and volition. Lucifer sought the highest seat and tempts humanity with the same unreachable goal. Racism is the attitudes, behaviors, and social structures designed by one ethnic group to control another ethnic group. From Cain and Abel, to the Egyptians and Israelites, through the Germans and the Jews, to the African slaves and the colonialist slave traders, racism for control of one group over another has a long and continuous history.
Reformation lens #3 – Racism or the notion of ethnic superiority will never change as long as one group seeks to subjugate another as a means of attaining or protecting its power base and privileged position.
Jesus instructed His disciples to operate the law of loving service as juxtaposed to top-down dominion and subjugation (Lk. 22:25-27). Love that fulfills the commandments never seeks its own advantage at the expense of another’s life or liberty. Love that reflects the love of God expends position and power to ensure that one’s neighbor can attain to all that God has ordained for the neighbor. Love follows the example of Jesus “Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death- even death on a cross!” (Phil. 2:6-8, NIV)
Reformation lens #4 – Love of one’s neighbor is the biblical solution to racism and all institutions and policies that give rise to racial inequality.
As reformers, we must recognize the need to bring to full measure the work that Jesus began. We must “preach the gospel to the poor, heal the brokenhearted, preach deliverance to the captives, and the recovering of sight to the blind, and set at liberty them that are bruised” (Lk. 4:18). We must operate in a different spirit from sinful mankind – love not hate, service not dominion, honor not ignobleness. Into the complexity of racism and racial injustice, we must see the individual in his plight and the ethnic group in their uniqueness, and we must value human life as God values it, “in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets” (Matthew 7:12 ).
Reformation lens #1 – “And [God] hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on the face of the earth…”—Acts 17:26
The differences between the races are tied to God’s choices for specific ethnic gifts and endowments. God creates diversity, uniqueness, and variety. In the individual, God supervises the formation of the baby in the womb to imbue the child with specific qualities and abilities (Ps. 138:13-18). In the nations, God appoints their boundaries, their resources, and their portion of earthly inheritance to the end that they would present back to Him the glory and honor found in their assigned portion (Rev. 21:24). Sociological differences that result from historical events, economic or educational opportunities, and cultural norms add more uniqueness into the array of the human family.
Reformation lens #2 – The Creator created uniqueness and specialties in each individual and each ethnic group, and God expects humanity to embrace rather than reject those diversities because He assigns value to those differences.
Since the fall of man in the Garden, humans have been in conflict with God and with one another. The core foundation of sinful behavior rests upon the misuse of power to gain the outcome that each person deems most expedient to his or her goal of being like God or of being sovereign. To attain the highest position guards against loss of provision, reward, and volition. Lucifer sought the highest seat and tempts humanity with the same unreachable goal. Racism is the attitudes, behaviors, and social structures designed by one ethnic group to control another ethnic group. From Cain and Abel, to the Egyptians and Israelites, through the Germans and the Jews, to the African slaves and the colonialist slave traders, racism for control of one group over another has a long and continuous history.
Reformation lens #3 – Racism or the notion of ethnic superiority will never change as long as one group seeks to subjugate another as a means of attaining or protecting its power base and privileged position.
Jesus instructed His disciples to operate the law of loving service as juxtaposed to top-down dominion and subjugation (Lk. 22:25-27). Love that fulfills the commandments never seeks its own advantage at the expense of another’s life or liberty. Love that reflects the love of God expends position and power to ensure that one’s neighbor can attain to all that God has ordained for the neighbor. Love follows the example of Jesus “Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death- even death on a cross!” (Phil. 2:6-8, NIV)
Reformation lens #4 – Love of one’s neighbor is the biblical solution to racism and all institutions and policies that give rise to racial inequality.
As reformers, we must recognize the need to bring to full measure the work that Jesus began. We must “preach the gospel to the poor, heal the brokenhearted, preach deliverance to the captives, and the recovering of sight to the blind, and set at liberty them that are bruised” (Lk. 4:18). We must operate in a different spirit from sinful mankind – love not hate, service not dominion, honor not ignobleness. Into the complexity of racism and racial injustice, we must see the individual in his plight and the ethnic group in their uniqueness, and we must value human life as God values it, “in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets” (Matthew 7:12 ).
