Just a thought. Take it with a grain of salt.
So Lay’s Potato Chips is having a contest to see which of three
flavors will win over America. As some of you may know, the Chicken and Waffles
flavored chips have sparked discussion on whether this flavor has racial
implications.
I would like to note that I have no intention of getting into a racial
debate.
This is merely to point out that we, as a society, place a high value
on the flesh (skin color and the stereotypes thereof) such that even a potato
chip inspired by the popular Arizona restaurant, Lo-Lo’s Chicken and Waffles,
is able to send people up in arms.
I feel that there is a lot of time spent dwelling on the past. Which
is not to say it is unimportant. As George Santayana wrote, “We should learn from
history lest we are doomed to repeat it.” To which, I agree completely. It is
the value placed on flesh lineage not our spiritual lineage that I have a
concern for.
For my purposes here, the flesh is the material substance that we are
made of. i.e. skin.
There
has been a lot of focus on the works of the flesh (Galatians 5:19-21). But
I haven't heard anyone speak of the actual flesh (specifically skin color) and
the works of the flesh mentioned in Galatians that have come because of it.
So
when God gave his son so that we may have eternal life through him (John 3:16),
the body of flesh was crucified along with Jesus and we (in Spirit not flesh)
were also raised from death with Jesus (Romans 8:1-39, 2 Corinthians 5:14, Ephesians
2:1-22, Colossians 2:10-14).
Pretty
epic, right?
Just
to drive home the point.
The
body (flesh) is merely a place for the Spirit to dwell while we are on Earth
(James 2:26, 1 Corinthians 6:19-20, 1 Corinthians 3:16, Romans 8:10-11).
So when we bring God into our life we are crucifying the flesh (Galatians 5:24, 2 Corinthians 5:14)
and no longer being bound by the flesh (John 3:6, Romans 6:6-7 &17-18,
Galatians 2:20).
And
thus we must live not of the flesh but of the Spirit (1 Peter 1:14-15, 1 Peter
4:2, 1 John 2:16, Colossians 3:1-10, 2 Corinthians 5:17, Romans 8:7, Romans
8:13).
All
of that is to say, how are we allowing the color of our skin to separate us
from our brothers and sisters in Christ?
For
no matter skin color, we (all who accept God into their lives) are children of
God and thus, brothers and sisters. (Romans 8:14, 1 Corinthians 12:13,
Galatians 3:26-28, Colossians 3:10-11). The word even goes on to say that our
brothers and sisters will be many brought together as one body from many
nations, tribes, languages wearing different clothing purposed with different
functions (Revelation 7:9, Romans 12:1-21).
I
have met many, MANY people who are Christian, who love God, who seek to fulfill
the word of God but like the man in Luke 18, overlook the part of their life
that is still not in line with God. I do believe God’s word says to “love one
another” (John 13:34) not love one another except those
white/black/yellow/purple/green people. That also goes for showing
favoritism/partiality for a certain skin color. The word says, “God shows no
partiality” (Romans 2:11) and that “if you show partiality, you are committing
sin” (James 2:9).
From
all this, there is no doubt to me that “racism” (there is no biological
component to support race it is a social construct http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/evolution/does-race-exist.html)
is from the flesh not from the Spirit.
So as long as we allow the flesh to dictate how we treat our brothers
and sisters in Christ we will never be unified or even free from the sins of
the flesh. As illustrated in Matthew 7:1-29, it is so easy to see how others
may be sinning but hard to discern where we may falter in our own lives. Like
with the Lay’s potato chips, people are quick to accuse them of being racist
but fail to look at their own lives and where they too may be faltering.
The take away point would be that we need to strive to be more
Christ-like.
We must love one another (1 Corinthians 16:14, Ephesians 5:1-33, 1
John 4:7-21, Matthew 7:12, Colossians 3:12-15) no matter what the color of our
skin is.
I’ll close with this:
For this
very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue
with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with
steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, and godliness with brotherly
affection, and brotherly affection with love. For if these qualities are yours
and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the
knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
If you get bored look at Luke 10:25-37.
