GOD IS NOT DEFEATED BY RACISM
What we discover with the cross is that God is not only not defeated by evil but is able to work through even the worst displays of human sinfulness to provide a redemptive possibility. The cross, which would have appeared to be the worst sin that humans could commit against the love of God, has become, instead, the very instrument of our redemption. This is the core truth of Redemptive Theology. As God made clear to Paul, “My grace is sufficient for you, for (my) power is made perfect in weakness.”
RACISM DID NOT SURPRISE GOD
In applying the truth of redemptive theology to the issue of white racism, there are several aspects that need to be noted. First, Redemptive Theology assumes that God is omniscient and therefore knew from the beginning the nature of humanity and the effect of sin on God’s creative purpose. God knew the nature of the church, and the sin of racism is not a surprise to God who called the church into reality within this culture. God knew from the beginning that racism would be a part of the American culture and therefore a critical aspect of the community of faith within which God was working God’s saving work.
GOD IS NOT DEFEATED BY A SINFUL CHURCH
Second, Redemptive Theology also assumes that God is omnipotent and is not defeated by sin but intentionally incorporates the reality of sin into God’s plan of salvation. For example, when David was confronted with his sin by God’s prophet, Nathan, David did not live in denial but confessed his sin before God. For narrative purposes, the canon saw Psalm 51 as an expression of David’s confession before God. While humanity suffers for their sins and the sins of others, as seen in the death of Bathsheba’s child and would later be seen in the disintegration of David’s family, God can transform even sin into a redeeming possibility. David and Bathsheba have another son, Solomon. This son will provide the family line from which Christ will be born. Matthew emphasized this aspect of God’s redeeming work in the genealogy with which he began his gospel, which in contrast to most genealogies not only included women but made a point of including women such as Bathsheba who had questionable qualities in their lives. God could use even the sin of adultery for a greater purpose.
DON’T DENY REALITY
With respect to racism, God’s saving work within the church is not experienced by denying the reality of racism but through discerning what God is doing by incorporating the reality of the sin of racism into God’s saving work. There is hope not because racism is insignificant but because God is not defeated by it. In what way can the redeeming power of God work through the reality of racism in our churches?
DON’T BE PARALYZED BY GUILT
Third, Redemptive Theology also assumes the holiness of God. God is a God of justice who cannot simply overlook the sins of humanity as if they were unimportant in God’s larger plan. God has created a moral universe in which humanity must be held accountable for its behavior. However, God is also accountable for the creatures that God has created and cannot allow them to be destroyed by the sinful possibilities of their nature. Therefore, racism within God’s church cannot be ignored, but it also needs to be acknowledged in a manner that does not simply paralyze the human participants with guilt. In most White congregations, racism is a reality that is not talked about or even acknowledged. In those who do take it seriously, there is often a tendency to become paralyzed with an overwhelming sense of guilt that results in what is often referred to as “white bashing.” Neither response is especially helpful in moving towards a healthier future.
WE DON’T EDUCATE OURSELVES TO SALVATION
Fourth, Redemptive Theology acknowledges the inability of humanity to save itself. While we may educate ourselves to the dimensions of sin, such as racism, and may draw upon the techniques of behavioral psychology to alter behavior and attitudes, Christian hope does not depend upon human progress for salvation with respect to this or any sin. One does not have to read much about the history of racism within our society to recognize the insidious ability that racism has to infuse every aspect of our personal and corporate lives and to repeatedly morph into new forms in defiance of our attempts to eradicate it. One of those forms is the continual effort of the dominant culture to assert that we are progressively triumphing over the effects of racism and that we need not make any significant sacrifices in our lives in order to achieve this progress towards a society free of racism.
TRUST THAT GOD TRANSFORMS
Fifth, Redemptive Theology places its trust in the creative power of God who not only is not defeated by evil but also is able to take even the worst of evils and transform it into a redemptive possibility. With respect to racism, this means that while it is an evil scourge on our churches, in the hands of God it can be transformed into a redemptive possibility.
RECONCILIATION CELEBRATES GOD’S LOVE OF DIVERSITYSixth, Redemptive Theology is rooted in an affirmation of God’s intention for creation. Whether it be in creation itself or in the separation of the androgynous creature into sexually specific male and female, life is the result of division that leaves a yearning for reconciliation. God also yearns for that reconciliation. “God was in Christ reconciling the world to Godself…” Such reconciliation is not the homogenization of our differences but a celebration of the richness of our differences that enrich the whole. For Christians, this is most clearly depicted in the economy of the Trinity. God, Christ, and the Spirit live in relationship to each other in perfect harmony and yet with appreciation of the distinctiveness of each. The variety within our creation, including races, was part of God’s intention in preparation for the full reconciliation with the divine. Our inability to relate to each other with appreciation and respect for our differences demonstrates our distance from God who is utterly different from any of us. It is only as we learn to live in the midst of the diversity of creation with rejoicing in the otherness of those who are different from us that we can grow closer to God. Full reconciliation in a world that can celebrate the beauty of our diversity prepares us to gaze upon the beauty of God.
