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Waterloo Pentecostal Assembly - ChurchA Pentecostal church in Waterloo

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First Nations Ministries is a specific ministry of the Western Ontario District of the Pentecostal Assemblies of Canada.  It was first formed in the 1950s as Ontario Northland Mission, then in the 1990s, it became Aboriginal Pentecostal Ministries.

We seek to support pastors called to minister to our First Nations people and communities, and to provide support and fellowship to all those doing the work of Christ in remote places such as fly-in reserves. We want to fight poverty, addiction, and systemic racism and bring hope to every person in the name of Jesus.  We do this by partnering with ministry and work crews from churches all across Ontario to build churches and pastors’ homes, and to help with community outreach ministries in these First Nations communities.  We continue to shine the light of Jesus through building relationships with local leaders and supporting those committed to bringing the gospel.

We hope you’ll pray for us, get involved, volunteer, and support this ministry with your generous financial gifts. Monies donated and received through Western Ontario District or specifically through First Nations Ministries go directly to support ministry to First Nations people on reserves and in our cities.  First Nations Ministries raises funds for First Nations leadership conferences, Christian teaching resources, church building construction, and the ministry to the pastors and lay leaders in our twenty-three churches located mostly in Northern Ontario.

To pray for our First Nations Pastors and Leaders by name, click this link for a list of pastors, communities and church names. https://wodistrict.org/here-to-serve/first-nations-ministries/

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The PAOC celebrated a historic moment at General Conference 2012 when an official statement of apology, forgiveness and reconciliation between The Pentecostal Assemblies of Canada and its Aboriginal leadership was read and signed during Wednesday morning’s plenary session.

The reconciliation process has been unfolding over the last two years, with the committed involvement of members of the Mission Canada Guiding Group, led by Jaz Ghag. Members of that group include Alex Sasakamoose, of the Saskatchewan Aboriginal Ministries (SAM) group, Kyle Mason, director of the North End Family Centre in Winnipeg, MB, Dan Collado of Eastern Ontario District Aboriginal Ministries and the director of Aboriginal Bible Academy (ABA), Bruce Brown, lead pastor of Vancouver Native Pentecostal Church, and Patti Victor, pastor of Chilliwack Native Pentecostal Church, all of whom were present to witness the signing and to express to delegates the spiritual and cultural significance of the event.

The official statements for each side (The Pentecostal Assemblies of Canada apology and the Aboriginal response) was read and signed by general superintendent David Wells, and George Gunner, Western Ontario District Aboriginal Pentecostal Ministries (APM) director. Simon Clarence, Alberta & Northwest Territories District Aboriginal director, led delegates in prayer after the signing and invited everyone to pray in the spirit for two minutes, asking God to continue and complete the work He had begun through the reconciliation process.

Bruce Brown and Patti Victor presented David Wells with a protocol gift in the form of a silver serving spoon with a hummingbird engraved in the centre. The serving spoon represents mutual service, one group to the other, and the hummingbird represents the bringing of good news.

Jaz Ghag was acknowledged and commended for his role in guiding the two-year reconciliation process as Aboriginal Co-ordinator with Mission Canada.

Communion was shared among delegates at the closing of the morning session.

Click here to read the official letter of apology.

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A Prayer for Reconciliation by Reepa Evic-Carleton with an introduction from Dan Collado, The PAOC Indigenous Guiding Group Coordinator. (Click here to view or share.)

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As a result of immigration, congregations in urban cities like Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver can be described as mosaics. We celebrate the PAOC’s mono-ethnic churches that were planted across our nation by first-generation immigrants in order to preserve culture-specific traditions, language, and expressions of worship and to pass on these values to the next generation. At the same time, we cannot ignore the fact that people from the nations of the world are at our doorstep. Our PAOC churches must embrace diverse peoples and discover together what it means to be a multi-ethnic church. This requires us to move from our current practice of representation into the future practice of integration. Click here to read the full article.

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On Sept 30th, Canada will be honouring The National Day for Truth & Reconciliation. This is a free course hosted by the University of Alberta.

Indigenous Canada is a 12-lesson Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) from the Faculty of Native Studies that explores Indigenous histories and contemporary issues in Canada. From an Indigenous perspective, this course explores key issues facing Indigenous peoples today from a historical and critical perspective highlighting national and local Indigenous-settler relations. Topics for the 12 lessons include the fur trade and other exchange relationships, land claims and environmental impacts, legal systems and rights, political conflicts and alliances, Indigenous political activism, and contemporary Indigenous life, art and its expressions.

Click the link below to access more information or to register for this course.

https://www.coursera.org/learn/indigenous-canada

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Written by: Olayiwola S’-Olayinka

Racism as defined by the Oxford English Dictionary is “the belief that different races possess distinct characteristics, abilities, or qualities, especially so as to distinguish them as inferior or superior to one another”. In the same dictionary, another definition of racism is “prejudice,  discrimination, or antagonism directed against a person or people on the basis of their membership in a particular racial or ethnic group, typically one that is a minority or marginalized”.  God created every nation and determined their boundaries (Act 17v26). Despite the corruption and perversion in the world, we all represent a part of the earth by our birthplace. This includes the continent of Africa which is my continent of origin. The cause of all perversion is the fall of man preceded by deception from the devil as recorded in the Bible in the book of Genesis. This same devil is still busy walking to and fro the earth deceiving people and destroying lives.  Included in this deception is the feeling and belief that one set of people are superior to another either because of their skin colour, geographical location, hair type, accent and so on. The truth though is that God created humans by creating one man and later, one woman. Everyone on earth, therefore, is connected to this first people. This should dispel the lie that a group of people are more special than another and bring unity and love founded in God’s creation story (Genesis  1 & 2).  

Racism is fundamentally rooted in the feeling of superiority and it is as old as the world. The feeling of superiority and not wanting another man to be better led to the first murder recorded in the Bible (Genesis 4 v 1 – 9). Here are some other examples of racism in the Bible. In Exodus  1:1-22, we read of the account of post-Joseph days when a new king arose and made up his mind to make life miserable for the Israelites. They were racially profiled, made to do hard labour,  treated harshly, denied social security and even their male children were set up to be killed. This sounds very much like what some races have faced and are still facing today. In another account after the kingdom of Israel was divided under King Jeroboam (1st king 12), Israelites from  Jerusalem regarded Samaritans from Samaria the former headquarters of Israel as inferior people, who are problematic and should be avoided. (John 4 v 9). In yet another record, Peter the foremost apostle after being baptized by the Holy Spirit and becoming a leader in the Church of Christ avoided relating with gentiles when the brethren came from Jerusalem to Antioch. He acted hypocritically by not eating and relating with those he considered as inferior gentiles  (Galatians 2 v 11 – 16). Apostle Paul confronted Peter’s hypocrisy that had drawn some of the brethren including Barnabas away from the truth. This reveals that we need to be careful that we do not become racists ourselves by our actions in a bid to impress other people.  

There is a tendency for human beings to lean towards racism because of the sin nature referred to earlier. Pride of life which is sin can make one human feel he is superior to another human being.  Racism shows up in a variety of ways. At the family level, it is called favouritism. Loving one child preferentially above another is evil and may destroy families. Many parents have treated one child preferentially to the others and sown the seed of hatred and bitterness among their children  (Genesis 37 v 3 – 4). A case in point is Isaac, Rebecca and their two sons Jacob and Esau (Genesis  27 v 1 – 41). At the tribe level, it is called tribalism, at the national level, it is nationalism and racial prejudice. Other forms of racism are discrimination, bigotry, inequity, racial injustice and intolerance, xenophobia, anti-Semitism, bigotry, apartheid, and chauvinisms. The anti-dote to this big issue is a life filled with and submitted to the Holy Spirit of God. Only the Holy Spirit can enable us to put the desires and works of the flesh to death and get us to a place of humility that acknowledges and accepts that every human is created by God and no one is preferred by Him based on looks, nationality, or race (1 Samuel 16 v 7).  

Focusing on the issue of “Black Lives Matter” (BLM), I believe that sin is the main reason humans have treated one another badly. Sins like selfishness, greed, pride, manipulation, unforgiveness are amongst the ones that come to mind readily. Not realizing these are sins makes us pursue dangerous paths with the intention to self-protect and (or) self-enrich. In every country of the world, there are people who are tribalistic to one another. In Africa for example, we have stories of atrocities that some leaders have committed against some of their people just because they are from a different tribe or speak a different language. In North America also we have issues of gang conflicts amongst brothers of the same colour trying to prove superiority over another group.  Therefore, I have concluded that the issue of racism is a human and global issue. I have chosen to tow the path of history and reason not to undermine the BLM movement but to analyze the issue from its foundation where it can be dealt with rather than some low hanging stems or fruits. 

Speaking of foundations, I cannot ignore the history of what brought black people whose origins are in Africa and parts of Asia to Europe and North America. The history of slave trade that began in the 16th century brought millions of Africans to Europe forcefully. According to Wikipedia “the  Atlantic slave trade, transatlantic slave trade, or Euro-American slave trade involved the transportation by slave traders of various enslaved African people, mainly to the Americas. The slave trade regularly used the triangular trade route and its Middle Passage and existed from the  16th to the 19th centuries”. Slavery was widespread in the ancient world found in almost every other ancient civilization such as the Greek and Roman Empires. Many developed nations also had their people enslaved by other predecessor kingdoms. While studying the history of slave trade at the library of the University of Lagos, Nigeria, I discovered it was the Kings, Chiefs and other highly influential leaders who were already engaged in slavery of fellow Africans that encouraged the selling of their brothers and sisters to European slave traders who had come to exploit the continent for various other reasons. The study revealed that slavery in Africa was only less brutal than what was faced in the Americas.  

“Black Lives Matter” is certainly a valid statement and struggle in the context of North America, especially the United States of America (USA). The USA made the repression of freed slaves unwritten (though written initially but later was abolished) but an integral part of their system of  Governance, especially in the legislature and judiciary. This was a deliberate attempt to continuously subjugate freed slaves forever and make them lower-class citizens. This eventually transformed into “red zones” and “law and order” programs targeted at the black community to keep them imprisoned and provide cheap labour for the government and Caucasians. Over the years there have been attempts to fight for a permanent change for black people in North  America. It is obvious that other races have made significant progress to be accepted for who they are but the struggle of the black man to prove him or herself above and beyond is still obvious today.  

In the media, we hear news of arrests, imprisonment, and killings of blacks in the United States of America (USA) sometimes for reasons that can only be racial prejudice. We then sometimes see a white person who does the same or worse things and the case it treated with soft hands. It is almost like the mere sight of a tall, black male speaks threat to the average Caucasian in the USA. Fathers and mothers of black boys often have to teach their children a certain way to behave when they come in contact with a white police officer for example.

My first opportunity to visit downtown New York City sometime in 2007 left me depressed for days and made me decide never to live in the United States. The broken life and depravity of the “Boys in the Hood” was a  reminder of black histories that I have read about. I could not imagine raising my kids in such downtrodden communities filled with violence, lawlessness, and disrespect for each other. From personal experience and the news, it is a known truth that blacks are facing different sorts of racial prejudice in every continent and many known nations of the world. I faced some terrible forms of it when we lived in the United Arab Emirates, it was in my face. With the high population of blacks in the United States though and the treatment many of them have received as seen in the news and stories from family members and friends who live there, it is almost like, despite a  constitution that seeks to protect every American irrespective of background and race, there is a  demon that continuously challenges their constitution and ensures racism is firm and standing irrespective of the institution in question. Unfortunately, this includes the church. 

The church played a leading and vital role in the slavery and post-slavery eras in North America.  This has caused a lot of pain and even led to some blacks deciding to never have anything to do with Christ. An example is my colleague and first non-Nigerian black friend that I made in Canada.  I would like to call her KV for the sake of this write-up. KV was born and raised up in the church.  Reading about slavery and the role the church and some Caucasians played during slavery made  KV decide to leave the church and deny her faith. She does not see any reason why a black person would accept the Faith of the white people or love their God. I still pray the Lord will encounter her one day and bring her back to the Faith. Sadly, politicians and church leaders used the scriptures to justify slavery and the continual subjugation of black people. Some renowned and influential White clergy have refused to publicly speak against this black repression and rather choose to behave like Peter the Apostle who does not want to lose the endorsement of his fellow  Jews and refrained from interacting with the gentiles in Antioch. Racial injustice as it is will continue until the end of this world if those who should speak against it and act choose to keep quiet and do nothing. 

As a church, Waterloo Pentecostal Assembly (WPA) must be acknowledged for the efforts of the  Board and Pastoral team who are willing to engage discourse around the topic of race with an intention to engage her members and speak up to enable change in the right direction. It is my hope that WPA will continue to defend the oppressed and speak out for the freedom of those who are oppressed (Act 6 v 1 – 7, Luke 4 v 17 – 21). Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ showed us in many of his works how to respect and treat everyone as a creation of value, cherished and loved by God. John 3:16 reminds us how much the Father loves humanity, this made him send  His only Son to save us from the depravity caused by the first people through sin. Though he started his ministry in Jerusalem, he went to Samaria (a marginalized people) and preached there.  Jesus did not discriminate against anyone. He related with the sinners, women, racially profiled,  poor, rich, politicians and so on. No one was too small or too big for Jesus to associate with. Most importantly, Christ was able to speak up against the attempts of the religious and political leaders of His days. He did not approve of his disciples who tried to prevent some people from receiving  His love and salvation based on their race, gender, status, or age (Mark 10 v 14). As the church, we need to take a cue from our head and return to the place of compassion, empathy, and love to those who are racially prejudiced. We also need to speak up against any oppression in the community and be examples of Godly direction on how to receive and relate with people of other races with respect, kindness, and humility as we will any human being.  

Every human being is created by God with a clean and blank mind (tabula rasa). The type of education and information passed to us by our parents and those who have authority over us affect the growth of our spirit, soul and body. The family will have to also support the cause of dealing with racism. Parents will have to take up the responsibility of speaking right about other races and acting right to people who are from other races. Kids pick what we do and say and once they feel like they are superior to a particular race, the racism will continue to be carried on from one generation to another. We can put a stop to this menace in our generation if we work hard at it. If we all play our part and the families and church support with playing their parts, the government will be forced to rethink, and change will start one person and one step at a time to ensure justice, equality, and equity for the black and all other races that were subjugated by the state. 

In conclusion, every race has a role to play in the journey to reduce and eventually end racism.  We all have something to repent of. As black Christians, it will be beneficial to follow Joseph’s example in the scripture (Gen 50 v 15 -21) and choose forgiveness, openness, giving another chance, trust, kindness amongst other things. Joseph did not stop at forgiving his brothers but also reassured them of his love and commitment towards caring for them. He promised that he would not hate them despite what they had done to him. This is the way Blacks should respond to racial injustice, we must teach our children about our history and charge them to forgive and not be bitter towards the Whites but to love them and be committed to caring and peacefully cohabiting with them.  

In the same vein and equally or more importantly, Whites Christians should be encouraged to courageously exhibit Jonathan’s Dimension/Grace (1st Samuel 18 v 1 – 4 and 2nd Samuel  1v26). This will include choosing humility, love, compassion, sincerity amongst other things.  There will be a need to willingly share their “robe” of honours and privileges with the blacks in their neighbourhood and be willing to stand out and defend the cause of the racially oppressed and prejudiced blacks just as Jonathan did in 1st Samuel 19 v 1 – 7 and 1 Sam 20. The time for change to ensure that black people in our communities feel like every other race does is now. In the eyes of our God who created all humans, all lives matter, and I acknowledge this. In the context of the reality of this write up I dare say, BLACK LIVES TRULY MATTER too.  

Written by: Olayiwola S’-Olayinka 

Reference:  

Information was retrieved from the following online sources and articles:  1. Definition of Racism from Oxford Dictionaries.  

2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Racism  

3. From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, Slavery in Britain.  

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slavery_in_Britain#:~:text=Slavery%20in%20Great%20Brit ain%20existed,separately%20in%20law%20or%20custom.  

4. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boyz_n_the_Hood  

5. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Efunsetan_Aniwura  

6. United nations, Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, Slavery and  Remembrance – A guide to sites, museum, and memory. Oyo Empire.  

7. The Organization of the Atlantic Slave Trade in Yorubaland, The International Journal of African  Historical Studies Vol. 41, No. 1 (2008), pp. 77-100 (24 pages) Published by: Boston University  African Studies Center. https://www.jstor.org/stable/40282457?read now=1&seq=3#page_scan_tab_contents  

8. Project MUSE, African Economic History, The Atlantic Slave Trade and Local Ethics of  Slavery in Yorubaland, Volume 41, (2013) pp. 73-100, Olatunji Ojo.  https://muse.jhu.edu/article/565350 

9. South African History Online (SAHO) https://www.sahistory.org.za/about-us , The Atlantic  Slave Trade, Causes and results of slavery. November 2011.  https://www.sahistory.org.za/article/atlantic-slave 

trade#:~:text=A%20main%20cause%20of%20the,sugar%2C%20tobacco%20and%20cott on%20plantations  

10. British Broadcasting Corporation BBC, History, Atlantic Slave Trade, Roles played by leaders  of African societies in continuing the trade.  https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/guides/zxt3gk7/revision/7#:~:text=African%20rulers%20la rgely%20maintained%20and,eliminated%20as%20well%20as%20strengthened 

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Isaiah 1:17 – a roadmap for a heart seeking justice

Katie West

In the United States, the murder of George Floyd sparked grief and outrage. In Canada, the murder of Nicholas Gibbs caused the same. In the wake of these deaths and recent others, people rallied together to seek justice and affirm that black lives matter.

 As non-Black Christians, we have the privilege to learn about injustice and the choice of humility. We are not forced to live through daily injustice, we are not forced to declare that we matter. 

As Christians, we can learn about injustice and humility from the Bible. Over the past few months I have been reflecting on the first chapter of Isaiah, specifically, Isaiah 1:17 where it says, “Learn to do good; seek justice, correct oppression; bring justice to the fatherless, plead the widow’s cause” (ESV). 

 Before Isaiah writes these powerful words, he writes of God’s disdain for the perfunctory acts of worship and sacrifice made by the Christ-followers and spiritual leaders of Juda and Jerusalem. He writes,

10Hear the word of the Lord,
    you rulers of Sodom!
Give ear to the teaching of our God,
    you people of Gomorrah!
11“What to me is the multitude of your sacrifices?
    says the Lord;
I have had enough of burnt offerings of rams
    and the fat of well-fed beasts;
I do not delight in the blood of bulls,
    or of lambs, or of goats.

12 “When you come to appear before me,
    who has required of you
    this trampling of my courts?
13 Bring no more vain offerings;
    incense is an abomination to me.
New moon and Sabbath and the calling of convocations—
    I cannot endure iniquity and solemn assembly.
14 Your new moons and your appointed feasts
    my soul hates;
they have become a burden to me;
    I am weary of bearing them.
15 When you spread out your hands,
    I will hide my eyes from you;
even though you make many prayers,
    I will not listen;
    your hands are full of blood.

Even in the midst of injustice, Judah continues its religious ceremonies and rituals. They continue to offer sacrifices and burnt offerings. In response to these acts, the Lord says that he has, “had enough,” that he, “does not delight,” and that these offerings are made in vain. He says that their incense is, “an abomination”.

Without the right heart behind their spiritual acts and religious ceremonies, God found no favour in their deeds and disciplines. God hated their lack of obedience and justice.

This passage forces me to reckon with my complicity in racial injustice. When God says, “When you spread out your hands, I will hide my eyes from you; even though you make many prayers, I will not listen; your hands are full of blood,” I recoil from the vivid picture of blood staining my hands. 

Instead of running away from this swift rebuke, we must lean in. We use Isaiah 1:17 as a roadmap for how to continue transforming my heart and trying to create sustainable social change. 

Isaiah 1:17 is written with action. 

Literally.

It says, “Learn to do good; seek justice, correct oppression; bring justice to the fatherless, plead the widow’s cause” (ESV).

It is full of verbs: learn, seek, correct, bring, and plead. 

To learn is to gain or acquire knowledge of something by study, experience or teaching. To seek is to attempt to obtain or achieve. To correct is to put right. To bring is to make someone move in a particular direction or way. To plead is to make an emotional appeal. 

This verse affirms that action must be taken by the people of God to find solutions to injustice and to raise our voices alongside those who are oppressed.

This verse also provides a roadmap for those who desire to respond to and correct injustice. 

Number 1: Learn to do good

Learn about injustice. Learn how you can do good. It is impossible to do good without knowledge. Read the stories of marginalized communities. Educate yourself about individual and systemic racism. Learn about privilege and how White people are not exempt from having hard lives but understanding that the colour of their skin does not make it harder in many parts of the world. Learn about the history of racism and its modern-day impacts. 

Here are some of the books on my bookshelf that have challenged my thinking:

  • The Colour of Compromise by Jemar Tisby
  • Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson
  • Be the Bridge by Latasha Morrison
  • Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates
  • Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

This is not a complete list of works. There are many resources available through blog posts, academic journals, novels, short stories, news articles etc. I encourage you to approach these works with a humble heart – a heart looking to understand, rather than be understood. Allow your heart to be molded by their words.

Number 2: Seek justice

To seek is to attempt to obtain or achieve. Our Black brothers and sisters are seeking justice. In order to walk alongside them as they seek justice, we must be aware of the injustices they face and we must be aware of how or when we are complicit in racist structures or making assumptions or believing stereotypes. 

Number 3: Correct oppression

Isaiah 1:17 asks us to act when we see oppression. To make it right. After we have learned to do good and sought justice, we must act on the injustices we see. In his book, The Color of Compromise, Jamar Tisby gives an overview of how the Church in North America has often remained silent or even been an active participant in the oppression of Black people. The Church has often failed to correct individual and structural racism and oppression. This is for many reasons – they are often complex and nuanced – but our silence and complicity has been in direct opposition to the directives given in the Bible.

Number 4: Bring justice to the fatherless

As I said earlier, “to bring” is to make someone move in a particular direction or way. One way the Church can bring justice to the fatherless is by being humble enough to move towards empathy, compassion, and forgiveness. Our hearts are in need of a transformation. 

Number 5: Plead the widow’s cause 

Women, specifically Black women have been the civil rights leaders throughout history and in our present context. They have advocated for the rights and needs of their communities. They have spoken up against injustice and they have led global movements for civil change. Too often we have not assisted them in pleading their cause. We have let their voices fall on deaf ears and have accused them of being angry and therefore, we do not listen to their voices because the truth they speak is not spoken in a tone we enjoy. Black women are losing their husbands, fathers, friends, cousins, and sons to racial injustice. We must not speak for them, but instead, help elevate their voices and humble ourselves to be willing recipients of their truth and experience.  

Sometimes it is hard to know where to start when it comes to education and activism. Isaiah 1:17 is a perfect place to start.

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Biblically, sin is anything that falls short of God’s will and glory, that violates his law and his character (1 John 3:4; Romans 3:23). There are at least four ways in which what we will be calling racism is a violation of God’s glory and therefore is a sin. It is sin.

This is the second article in the series on justice and race by Timothy Keller that includes: “The Bible and Race” (March 2020), A Biblical Critique of Secular Justice and Critical Theory (August 2020), and coming in September 2020, “Justice in the Bible.”

1. Because of the image of God. It is a sin to violate–in thought, word, or deed–the divine truth that all humans have equal dignity and worth as persons created in the image of God (Genesis 1:26-28). One of the many ways that truth can be violated is given in James 3:9, where we are told that to even curse a human being—to address them without respect—violates the image of God. When Jesus explains “You shall not murder” (Matthew 5:21), he says if you treat someone with contempt, calling him or her ‘Raca’ or ‘fool,’ you are violating the principle of the command and are “in danger of the fire of hell” (Matthew 5:22). To modern ears this seems excessive, but behind the sixth commandment is the doctrine of the image of God as expounded in James 3. It is a sin to treat any class or group unequally, as being less worthy of respect, love, and protection.

Treating people unequally on the basis of race is only one version of this sin, though it is a particularly prevalent, grievous, and pernicious one. To presuppose one’s own race or nationality is inherently superior to another, and to treat those of other races and nationalities with (a) unfairness or unequal justice, with (b) dismissiveness (the probable meaning of ‘Raca’ is “you nobody”) or with (c) active contempt is a sin, and one that is “in danger of the fire of hell.”

God’s law is based on his character. The Lord is, literally, “no respecter of persons.” (Deuteronomy 10:17) The context for this statement is a discussion of race and class prejudice. “[H]e shows no partiality… He defends the cause of the fatherless and the widow, and loves the foreigner residing among you, giving them food and clothing” (Deuteronomy 10:17-18). In Acts 10:34, Peter learns that “God shows no partiality” on the basis of national or ethnic status. It is a sin to be partial, and discriminatory, because it falls short of God’s character and glory.

2. Because of the commandment to love your neighbor.

Continue reading this article here.

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Next to sex and gender, the subject of race is the most discussed topic in our culture today. Storms of rhetoric and conflict swirl around it every day in politics, the arts, business, the media, and especially social media. It is natural and right for Christians to speak in these conversations out of their personal experience, but since we believe that the Bible has the right to interpret our experience and to critique every culture, we must look to it as our final authority.

This is the first article in the series on justice and race by Timothy Keller that includes: “The Sin of Racism” (June 2020), A Biblical Critique of Secular Justice and Critical Theory (August 2020), and coming in September 2020, “Justice in the Bible.”

It is important to say at the outset, of course, that all of us read the Scripture through the lens of our own culture, which partially distorts our view of its teaching. So when we discuss ‘what the Bible says about race’ we need to do so with humility and openness to correction.

Continue reading this article here.

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