"Circumcise your hearts, therefore, and do not be stiff-necked any longer. For the Lord your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome, who shows no partiality and accepts no bribes. He defends the cause of the fatherless and the widow, and loves the foreigner residing among you, giving them food and clothing. And you are to love those who are foreigners, for you yourselves were foreigners in Egypt." (Vs 16-19)
We might need to spend a few moments just letting that soak in.
I know that some might say I apply parts of the Bible addressed to Israel to us on a personal level or to our nation. I believe that every part of scripture has both historical application and a lesson for us today. But sometimes the lesson seems so clear and so direct, I'm almost speechless.
We get caught up in the best way to defend our country and the best way to preserve what God has given us. If we recognized that God is the giver of all good things, then we should consider His guidance. We should ponder the possibility that the current animosity toward us may be in part because we have often failed to follow God's commands to show love and impartiality.
What about on a personal level? I don't know anyone who would advocate for white supremacy (if you would, feel free to unfriend me now), but many do not recognize there are systems in place that deny a level playing field. We all have deeply ingrained prejudices that can't be eradicated unless we first see them. Unless we set aside the fun-house mirror reflection provided by those who are just like us and consider a 360 degree view, including the perspectives of people from another nation, another ethnicity, or another shade of skin, we will never identify what needs to change in us for us to "love our neighbor as ourselves." Or what needs to change for our nation to achieve the God-given creed that "all men are created equal."
(NOTE: If you don't believe there are underlying systems In place that continue to support and reinforce notions of white supremacy, try searching for images and see what pops up. Take a look at the picture I chose for this post. At first glance, it seems to represent unity across racial lines. But look closer. There were multiple versions of this same image -- all with the smaller, white child's hand on top. Racism is no longer seen only in burning crosses and white hooded mobs. There are subtle messages all around us that disparage dark skin and elevate lighter skin, and God calls us to speak out for the marginalized and oppressed. We are ALL made in the image of God.)
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