For a couple weeks now I have been pondering and thinking about how I wanted to approach what has been bouncing around in my head. Finally I figured that I would go ahead and just put out what I was think and stop pushing it off, for this is something that one could ponder every day.
Privilege. One simple word, and yet such a loaded thing in today's culture. There are so many that want to say that every person has a certain amount of privilege based on what shade their skin is. The popular opinion is that the lighter your skin, the more privilege you have. The darker your skin, the less privilege you have. But, the one thing that I keep seeing and hearing, is that your skin privilege is overridden by your ideological thoughts. Meaning, that if you "think like a white person" your black skin no longer is a hindrance to your privilege but rather enhances it. And that if you are white, no matter what your ideologies, you can never get out from under being over privileged.
There is so much that is wrong with this thinking. But this isn't where I want to focus today. So, for today I will simply say this. How dare we think about one another in such ways! Those that want to divide with thoughts and statements akin to that listed above are those who would be happy to see the most stringent segregation that this nation has ever seen. There is nothing in that thinking that would ever promote love for your neighbor and love for God. These things are the second and first greatest commandments respectively. These are not suggestions, but commands from a Holy God.
So, what is it exactly that I want to focus on? It is this, namely Jesus Christ and Him crucified. This is not an article written to argue with anyone, but rather to state the Truth found within Scripture.
I have the greatest advantage and privilege that anyone can have. For; my Brother, Christ, my Beloved, His righteousness is mine own! There is no greater advantage that a person can have. My skin color has nothing to do with how I am seen by the Father. My sins have been washed away, completely. My righteousness is that of the living Christ! So, people want to say that I have privilege, sure, I can agree with that. However, it's not for the reasons that they are trying to propose.
[23] Now before faith came, we were held captive under the law, imprisoned until the coming faith would be revealed. [24] So then, the law was our guardian until Christ came, in order that we might be justified by faith. [25] But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian, [26] for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith. [27] For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. [28] There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. [29] And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to promise. (Galatians 3:23–29 ESV)
When I get to the throne room of heaven, I won't be looking for those whose skin color resembles mine. I won't be checking to see who had life harder or easier than me. I won't be looking to see whose ancestors wronged mine. I will look around and see Christ! His body will be shining forth, perfectly reflecting the glory that comes from Him. The majesty and praise poured upon the risen Lamb will rise to a crescendo never before heard. The deafening shouts of fans at sporting events won't even sound like a whisper in comparison to the triumphant shouts of the saints gathered around the throne singing Holy Holy Holy Holy Holy Holy!
I was created in my mother's womb, and yet I was ordained to be exactly who I have become and will be before the foundation of the world. Therefore, everything about my physical nature was ordained by God, including my skin color. To say that my skin color enhances or decreases my personhood is to say that God didn't create equally. It would be to say that God created a hierarchy within the shades of melanin found in a person's skin. This is wrong in some many ways! First, those who believe are children of God, His bride. They are one! It's not the bride made up of those who are better than others. The whole bride has the same righteousness and same standing. They are perfect. Second, saying that God created people to be separated by skin color is to imply at least on some level that God himself sees color as a defining distinction to be made. How could this ever fit with Galatians? In fact, it doesn't. If we are Christ's, we are heirs according to the promise! We are not ranked heirs, for the only reason we are heirs is because we are Christ's! We have no ability to be heirs on our own.
My privilege stems from one thing and one thing only. The fact that my hope is found in Christ and His resurrection alone!
I could go on for pages trying to justify that my family and heritage has been through just as much as any other. But that's not the point. I was made with lighter skin for the glory of God. My brother was made with darker skin for the glory of God. We have been created for one purpose only, the glory of God. It is through a more full understanding of who God is that we can begin to see that our skin does not determine the privilege we have, for those arguments are based on one thing alone, man-made desires sprouting from the hate they hid or didn't hide towards their neighbors. Those very same neighbors that we are commanded to love, second only to loving God. Separating people by their skin color is from the devil and he rejoices every time that the Church joins in doing so.
Anyone that holds someone's skin color as their defining factor, fails to see the very reason that Christ came to die. The darkest skinned man and the lightest skinned man are the very same, there is nothing different about them. They are either redeemed for glory or they are damned to hell. Their skin tone doesn't determine this, their heart does. Their heart either loves their neighbor, or they hate them. There are no in-betweens. You cannot only partially hate or love them. These are two words that are extremes. Love is the pinnacle of care and enjoyment. Hate is the depths of arrogance and pride.
May we all come to understand that those all over the world come together to complete one body that brings praises and glory to Him who reigns on high for ever and ever. I hope that what I have written makes sense and would be happy to discuss with anyone who would like.
To God alone by glory, honor, and praise.
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