by: Allen Domelle
Is America any closer to solving the race problem? Absolutely not! President Obama’s effort to diffuse the racial problems in America have greatly failed. He came on the national stage in the 2004 Democratic National Convention by telling the crowd that his parents’ dreams lived on through his two daughters. Later in the same speech he said, “There’s not a black America and white America and Latino America and Asian America; there’s the United States of America.”
Since this speech and Obama becoming president, racial relations in the United States have spiraled downward. I cannot remember a time in my lifetime when racial tensions have been so high. It seems the racial unrest has reared its ugly head. Sadly, President Obama and Attorney General, Eric Holder, have contributed greatly to this unrest.
Not only have these men contributed to the problem, but the news media has sown racial strife to the American public by fabricating news about race. Instead of reporting about the crime, they have made crime a race issue instead of a crime issue. This has done nothing but fuel racial strain.
Race problems are not an American problem, but race problems are a heart problem. There are many who would like us to think that America is the source of racial problems, but racial problems did not start in America. Numbers 12:1 records the first time racial problems occurred when it says, “And Miriam and Aaron spake against Moses because of the Ethiopian woman whom he had married: for he had married an Ethiopian woman.” Aaron and Miriam were not upset because of how Moses ran the country, but they were clearly upset because he married a dark skinned lady. God pointed to this because the race problem was not a skin problem but a heart problem.
Martin Luther King, Jr., in his famous 1963 “I Have a Dream” speech said, “I say to you today, my friends, so even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream. I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: ‘We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal.’” He continued in the speech when he said, “I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character.”
Whether or not a person likes Mr. King, what he said was absolutely true. You can’t legislate race relations! The law is not the problem, the heart of mankind is the problem. You will never solve the race problem by legislating it, you will only solve it by changing the heart.
How do we solve the race problem?
First, leading people to Jesus Christ will help solve the race problem. Jesus Christ makes it clear in the Scriptures that there is no color to a soul. The Scriptures say in Revelation 22:17, “…And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.” God is a “whosoever” God and not a skin color God. He says again in Romans 10:13, “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” God knows that the soul has no color. God’s offer of salvation is not to a race, creed or background, but His offer of salvation is to “whosoever.”
Salvation is what changes the heart of people. 2 Corinthians 5:17 says, “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” When a person gets saved it will change who they are and how they think. Salvation will change the way people look at people. Galatians 5:17 says, “For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature.” Notice that salvation transforms the heart of a person to the point that they don’t look at the color of the skin, a person’s race, creed or background, but they look at the soul. The race problem will only be solved through Jesus Christ.
Second, deal with the issue instead of the color of the skin. Don’t make things about skin color, but deal with the problem. God says in Romans 6:23, “For the wages of sin is death…” God makes it very clear that it’s the individual who should be judged. God says in Ezekiel 18:20, “The soul that sinneth, it shall die. The son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the son: the righteousness of the righteous shall be upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him.” Justice will never be served until we deal with the issue and not the color of the skin. It doesn’t matter whether someone is black, white, brown or any other color, the only issue that should ever be judged is if a person is innocent or guilty.
Third, don’t entitle people because of the color of the skin, but teach them to work for what they want. I love what Martin Luther King, Jr., said in his famous speech, “I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.” As long as you enable people to use their race, creed or background to get things, then you will continue to fuel racial inequality. When a person is taught that if they want something then they need to work for it, then that completely takes the race card out of the equation. God says, “For even when we were with you, this we commanded you, that if any would not work, neither should he eat.” (2 Thessalonians 3:10) The greatest equalizer is work. It’s amazing that if people are willing to work hard, then they are able to rise in society no matter what their race, creed or background may be.
Fourth, teach home values to the youth. Teach them the importance of a father and a mother staying married and being engaged in the child’s life. Parents who are engaged will train their children to not use excuses as to why they are in their present condition. Proverbs 22:1 says, “Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.” Children need both parents involved in their life. Children need to see the importance of staying married and only having children after they get married. When parents are engaged in what their children do, then you will find them less likely to get involved in crime or to use the system to enable their laziness.
Fifth, don’t give credence to the race industry. 1 Timothy 1:4 says, “Neither give heed to fables and endless genealogies, which minister questions, rather than godly edifying which is in faith: so do.” The race industry loves to feed the fable that skin color is the issue, when the Scriptures make it clear that the heart is the issue. God makes it clear that we are not to pay attention to those who try to turn any issue into a race issue instead of a heart issue.
The race problem could be solved if we start dealing with the heart. Proverbs 4:23 says, “Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.” When you change the heart you will change the “issues of life.”
Allen Domelle is the editor of the Old Paths Journal which is more than just a Christian’s publication. It is an excellent place to learn how today’s headlines will forge tomorrow’s laws and statutes. Keep yourself in tune with what is happening around the world, as well as in your own backyard with our daily updates and devotionals.