Brought Near By the Blood of Christ

Baseball. Apple pie. Shopping malls. McDonalds. Ford cars. What do all of these things have in common? Most people would say that they describe a good-ol’ American ideal. For many decades, these words have had everything to do with a typical American dream. This is who we are, right? In reality, the United States may indeed have a false sense of security in these descriptions. We can no longer ignore the fact that times are changing. Studies predict that by the year 2050, Caucasian will no longer be the dominant race in the United States (Woo 90). In fact, in less than 40 years, a majority race or ethnic group will not even exist in this country; “every American will be a member of a minority group” (Woolfolk 4). American culture is undoubtedly becoming more and more diverse, and it is increasingly difficult to ignore the multicultural fabric of which this nation is composed.

One of the institutions this reality radically affects is the public education system. Classrooms are tangible, real-life examples of ethnic diversity and cultural differences — differences that create unique challenges for all involved. Consider the following scenario: a middle school in a small Midwestern city that used to be composed of primarily white, middle-class students has been experiencing radical racial changes in the past five years. Now classrooms are composed of refugee children from Bhutan and Liberia, exchange students from Korea, several Mexican-American students, African American students who have recently moved from a larger city, as well as Caucasian students. What kind of atmosphere does this combination of young people create? What are their interactions, if any? Is this diversity a good thing that can and should be embraced, or is it an “unfortunate result” of the “unfortunate direction” in which this country is headed? How should Christians in particular approach increasing diversity? Using the Biblical narrative as our mandate for racial reconciliation, we will spend the following paragraphs exploring God’s intention for His creation to live in harmonious diversity and its implications for the education system.

The word “reconciliation” is used in a variety of different contexts, but throughout this paper it will refer to a more specific situation involving race and diversity. Gerhard Sauter states that the world needs restoration because of humankind’s sinfulness; thus reconciliation refers to God’s restoration of the world. Reconciliation restores a right relationship (504). Similarly, Adrian Hastings says that reconciliation refers to “the removal of division between God and humanity, a division brought by sin and overcome by Jesus Christ…in whom divinity and humanity are reconciled” (597). While reconciliation clearly has everything to do with Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross in order to bring humanity back into relationship with God the Father, it also clearly has horizontal repercussions as well. Sin has estranged us not only from God but also from each other. One of the ways this is most obvious is in racial tension, segregation, and aggression. God’s reconciliation with the world through Jesus speaks principally of His love for the world, and it urges us to respond (Sauter 506). God’s will foremost is for us to love, and that love is manifested in mutual forgiveness and acceptance between individuals and people groups previously alienated from one another (Hastings 598). Therefore, this is our goal as followers of Jesus: to restore a right relationship between all people groups and nations on the earth.

A study of the Bible as it pertains to racial reconciliation begins in creation. Here we look to find what God’s original intention for humanity was. In the beginning, God created a unified humanity. Genesis 1:26 states, “Then God said, ‘Let us make man in our image, after our likeness.’” God intended that humanity bear His own image. In bearing His image, creation reveals who God is (Woo 8–9). Wayne Grudem describes the image as man being like God and representing God (442). God made Adam and Eve in His image and also gave them responsibility to rule over all nonhuman created things (Gen. 1:28). From Adam and Eve came all future humans. In Genesis 3:20 Adam gives his wife the name “Eve” because she would be the mother of all living people. This name makes it clear that all humans who exist today ultimately find their origins in Adam and Eve (Mathews 354). Thus God’s creation of them in His own image also corresponds to all future generations. We too are made in His likeness and image. Grudem states, “This has profound implications for our conduct toward others. It means that people of every race deserve equal dignity and rights” because we all have this status of being in God’s image (450).

The wording of God’s creation of Adam and Eve is unique because God refers to Himself in plurality. “Then God said, ‘Let us make man in our image, after our likeness’” (italics added). Most theologians interpret the plurality to be a clear reference to God’s triune nature (Grudem 227). God’s triune nature indicates diversity — the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit (Woo 10). If God’s own nature involves diversity, then we as image-bearers also gain a sense of diversity. Thus the Trinity is our pattern for how we should relate to each other (11): we are created to embody the same diversity that exists within the Godhead. A diverse humanity is reflected in diverse culture-making. As image-bearers we are designed to reflect God’s diversity, which is played out in different cultures. Therefore we can conclude, “Culture-making…is a vocation given to us as image bearers of God” (J. Smith178).

The concept of culture-making is affirmed in Genesis 10 with the Table of Nations record. In his commentary on the book of Genesis, Victor P. Hamilton writes, “What the chapter affirms is that all of humanity, in spite of geographical and linguistic differences, share a common origin” (346). It is crucial to understand why the listing of the Table of Nations as proceeding from Adam comes before the account of the Tower of Babel in our Bibles: while the Tower of Babel portrays multiplicity of language and scattering throughout the world in the context of punishment, the Table of Nations attributes dispersal of mankind in a context of peace and blessing. It was God’s intention from the beginning that different nations should form and fill the earth. After the flood in Genesis 7–8, God renews the mandate to “be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth” to Noah (Gen. 9:1). The Table of Nations in Genesis 10 “fills out and fulfills the divine promise and imperative in [Genesis] 9:1…” (Hamilton 347). In Genesis 11, diversity and scattering is punishment for man’s rebellion against God’s command to spread out; He never intended that they remain homogeneous and centralized. However, because Genesis 10 comes before the Tower of Babel, we first see diversity as a reflection of obedience, not punishment. “The Bible does not imply that ethnic or national diversity is in itself sinful or the product of the Fall — even if the deleterious effects of strife among the nations certainly are. Rather, nations are simply ‘there’ as a given part of the human race as God created it to be” (Wright 455–456).

Moving ahead to Genesis 12, we begin to see more clearly God’s heart for the nations. Although God chooses Abraham to be the father of God’s nation Israel, God’s intention is ultimately to bless the entire world. God says to Abraham, “…I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed’” (Gen. 12:2–3). According to Christopher J. H. Wright, “The gospel and mission both begin in Genesis, and both are located in the redemptive intention of the Creator to bless the nations as the bottom line of God’s covenant with Abraham. Mission is God’s address to the problem of fractured humanity. And God’s mission is universal in its ultimate goal and scope” (328). This covenant and all the subsequent covenants God makes with the nation of Israel have one ultimate goal: salvation for the nations (Woo 230). He is seeking to reconcile all of His creation. Although God called Israel to be unique, separate from the pagan nations surrounding her, He also desired that she be a blessing to those on the outside. Ultimately God will bless the nations through His son Jesus Christ who will come from Israel, yet there are immediate repercussions of God’s desire to bless the nation as well. For example, when God gives the law to Israel at Sinai, He commands special provision for aliens and foreigners among them (see Deut. 10:18–19) (Merrill 204). God urges Israel to be generous in response to His own generosity to them in leading them out of slavery in Egypt (Soerens 90). Unfortunately, for the most part Israel misunderstood God’s call to bless the nations and turned inward, focusing only on themselves (Woo 228).

The separation of nations we see throughout the Old Testament continues for several thousand years until we arrive at the Pentecost in Acts 2. This is the beginning of the nations coming back together according to God’s plan (D. Smith 105). Ajith Fernando describes Pentecost as a signal of the breaking of barriers that have separated the human race since Babel (90). Whereas Babel scattered people outward into the whole world, Pentecost was the reversal, bringing Jews from all over the world to Jerusalem in order to worship. Mikeal C. Parsons asserts the list of nations represented at the Pentecost in Acts 2:9–11 as an updated account of the Table of Nations list in Genesis 10 (39). The Holy Spirit coming on the disciples supernaturally enabled them to speak in each nation’s language and proclaim the gospel. Clements says, “the Pentecostal tongues were a pointer to the way in which the Holy Spirit was going to break down social barriers and create an unprecedented kind of internationalism. Unlike the imperialisms of men, the Spirit had no ambition to homogenize the peoples of the world into a uniform Christian Culture” (Fernando 95). After Pentecost, Jerusalem would no longer be the center of worship. Every Jew would be able to return to his home and worship God (Parsons 40). Through the gospel of Jesus Christ, God broke down social and racial barriers and yet continued to uphold racial diversity and multiculturalism as it was imbedded in language.

In Jesus Christ, “the barriers that divided the human race have been broken so that a new humanity is on the way to being created” (Fernando 91). This reconciliation is intended not only for the Jews, but also the Gentiles. In Paul’s letter to the Ephesian church, he proclaims that

“now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace, and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility.” (Eph. 2:13–16)

According to William MacDonald, one of the aspects of Christ’s work on the cross was

“abolition of the enmity that smoldered between Jew and Gentile and also between man and God…[Jesus] has made in Himself from the two, that is, from believing Jew and believing Gentile, one new man — the church…[Therefore] the cross is God’s answer to racial discrimination, segregation, anti-Semitism, bigotry, and every form of strife between men.” (1921–1922)

We see the repercussions of this peace in the church, where God desires that believers from every nation come together to worship. It is intended to be a new identity in which there is no longer tension and conflict between men (peace is possible, even if it is still not readily evident). In Colossians 3 Paul instructs the church — “Here there is not Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free; but Christ is all and in all” (Col. 3:11). Christ never had any intention to do away with race; distinctions remain between people in the church (whether referring to gender, race, abilities, etc.). Yet we all experience reconciliation with God in the same way — through Christ.

The bringing together that began at Pentecost finds its full recognition in a glorious future. Revelation 7 describes what we can look forward to: “…behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb…” This multitude surrounds the Lamb offering continual praises and acknowledgment to Him (7:9–10). In the end, we will be completely unified around Jesus — people from every nation, tribe, people, and language. Craig Keener states, “Many Christians today think that the gospel obliterates cultural distinctions… But this text [in Revelation] suggests that, far from obliterating culture, God takes what is useful in each culture and transforms it into an instrument of praise for his glory” (250). In the beginning God created culture and diversity; in the end, culture and diversity will exist in a redeemed state. On the one hand, all cultures have their own unique blend of sin and brokenness; on the other hand, however, all cultures also have a unique understanding of truth and worship. In Desiring the Kingdom, author James K. A. Smith urges Christians to consider what is good in each culture and race. How can other cultures point us more fully to Jesus and the finished work of the cross? A diverse, reconciled humanity reflects more fully the glory of God. Even in the new heavens and new earth, “the inhabitants of the new creation are [still] not portrayed as a homogenized mass or as a single global culture. Rather they will display the continuing glorious diversity of the human race through history” (Wright 456). This is God’s desire for us.

David I. Smith describes culture as our way of being in the world together. It permeates every aspect of our lives — the ways we act and interact with one another, tell stories, build buildings, invent names, learn concepts, work toward goals, etc. (6). As the United States becomes less and less homogeneous, culture becomes more obvious. We no longer can genuinely believe that we all do things the same way. Although it is no easy feat to acknowledge and work through differences, it is important to increase our awareness of race, tension, and struggle, particularly in the field of education. Consider again the hypothetical classroom described in the introduction of this paper. How should a teacher interact with a classroom like that? Does a teacher’s Christian faith make a difference in his or her attitudes and actions? How can a teacher reflect God’s heart for racial reconciliation in the sphere of education?

In his book The Color of Church, author Rodney Woo states, “What one believes will ultimately determine how an individual will act and relate to other races” (54). An indirect, passive approach to increasing diversity in the classroom will not accomplish anything; in fact, it has the potential to cause much harm to students in the long run. It is of utmost importance, then, to consider one’s own person biases and attitudes toward people of other cultures. Western Christians are prone to thinking that their way of living life is the ideal. We falsely believe that all other cultures need our help; we are the ones who should contribute to them, and we are the ones who are “true Christians.” When we meet people for the first time, we automatically assign them to mental categories or schemas that exist in our minds to help ourselves understand and organize information. Although this is a natural response, it is one that we must fight. Stereotypes are so often incorrect and result in misunderstanding and prejudice (D. Smith 19) — and students in the classroom are often the unfortunate victims. Michael Sadowski cautions racial stereotyping in schools even further: “the stereotypical images we hold of certain groups are powerful in influencing what people see and expect of students” (25). Racial stereotypes — even sub-conscious ones — affect how a teacher will view a student and his or her work; it also affects how a student views him or herself and consequently how he or she will perform academically and socially.

Awareness of race begins during childhood, especially for children who attend heterogeneous schools or live in culturally diverse areas (Sadowski 21). A child’s concept of race and ethnicity is incomplete, however. It is in adolescence that young people begin to fully understand and establish their own personal identities, especially in regard to racial identity (20). Adolescence is also generally when people begin to see the political and social significance of race. Thus it is incredibly important to fight against racial stereotyping during this highly critical period. If a teacher conveys the idea that an African American student who does not know his father will most likely be a problematic student, a problematic student he will become. If a teacher expects a Chinese student to be highly intelligent and treats her thus, she will feel the pressure of having to succeed. There is an endless supply of situations where racial stereotyping can affect academic achievement. It is the teacher’s responsibility to foster respect and concern for all of her students and not act in self-fulfilling ways. “Our assumptions related to race are so deeply entrenched that it is virtually impossible for us not to hold them unless we take conscious and deliberate action (Sadowski 26).

So how should a classroom teacher counteract unconscious biases? Here we turn back to the common identity all people have as being made in God’s image. All people have equal value and worth and deserve respect. Eugene H. Merrill says, “What God does in the social realm his people are to imitate” (204). For a teacher who is a Christian, his or her approach to a diverse classroom should reflect God’s heart. One of the ways we can change is to make learning about other culture a priority because it is an integral part of learning how to love as God Himself loves (D. Smith 69). If we take our cues from Scripture, we see that the answer is not to simply color-blind ourselves to culture and ethnicities. We are not all the same, and that is a good thing. Diversity of culture in the classroom provides tremendous opportunity for rich learning experiences and personal development. Acknowledging differences and talking about them is very helpful. It is of utmost importance to realize that not all people think the same way or approach social issues identically. A teacher must cultivate this realization in her own life and seek to cultivate it in the lives of her students as well. Diversity is not just good — it is God’s plan. We have much to learn from each other.

As the world around us faces significant racial disparities, we are faced with a profound choice — how will we react? Will we pursue multiculturalism and esteem it as something valuable, or will we stubbornly try to hold on to our own way of doings things and seeing the world? Throughout this paper we have had a chance to consider how God’s intention for race and diversity is clearly evident throughout the Biblical narrative. From the beginning God created human beings to be ethnically varied and multicultural. Each cultural heritage is ingrained with unique aspects of His image. Although sin has greatly marred God’s original plan for mankind living in diverse unity, He continues to work for reconciliation in His world. Christ as the ultimate reconciler His sacrifice on the cross brings peace to all people but does not do away with cultural differences. Our vision of a glorious future with God continues to sustain the distinction of nations and people groups. These beautiful truths should permeate the life and actions of every Christian teacher, whether she is in a completely heterogeneous classroom or a more homogenous one. Because we continue to live in an imperfect, sinful world, there will undoubtedly be a myriad of challenges in this quest, but we must not lose heart. God’s heart for the nations is undeniable, and we must continue to work toward reconciliation in our everyday lives, and particularly in the classroom.

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