A reflection for Racial Justice Sunday from AMEN's Vice Chair

It is evident from the misguided attempt at espousing what is called ‘Christian Nationalism’ in England that racism is not history yet. As the Archbishop of Canterbury-Elect, Rt Revd Sarah Mullally has stated, “Our National Conversations About Immigration Continue to Divide Us, When Our Common Humanity Should Unite Us.” It is a paradox that “Unite the Kingdom” in practice is not really uniting but dividing. Evidently the emergence of England as an integrated multiethnic and multicultural society is still a work in progress. Some church leaders rightly observed that racial rhetoric by certain right-wing activists is beyond the pale and anti-Christian. The church should act as a bulwark against racism and strive for racial integration for further strengthening the social fabric. The simple fact is that the love of God in Christ is not limited to people of one nation. “God so loved the world” is the verse and Christians must do the same.

Contact with other people is a human need. ‘Other people’ means all people, irrespective of race. Racial Equality Sunday (RES) observed on the 8^th February Sunday is a time to relearn that skin colour is very shallow. Pigmentation (determined by the amount of melanin) does not make or define a human. Like it or not, the cohesive power of our common humanity and shared sufferings and joys are inevitably at the core of our existence.

This Sunday is an occasion to realise that racism is irrational. It is God who chooses our skin colour. There is no logic in (or justification for) discriminating against someone based on something that the individual did not choose or cannot change. We feel better when we enable others to feel appreciated and valued, no matter what the circumstances of their birth or background.

The Bible is clear that we are made in the image of God. We must set great store by character and not at all by appearance. While we all need our own space to live as individuals, we also need to know that we are one, in Christ, despite differences in our skin colour. It should follow from this that educational and job opportunities must be provided to all, irrespective of their colour. Sharing and altruism are the pillars on which a good society is built.

Sometimes racism is considered (and sought to be validated) by loosely clubbing it with environment, gender and disability concerns as yet another matter of common good. Of course, we must work together to eradicate all forms of injustice. At the same time, it is significant to note that racism as a scourge stands apart and requires concerted efforts for its eradication. GMH issues often pertain to specific cultural, ethnic, and historical contexts

that differ significantly from those of the other concerns. Perhaps the challenges faced by GMH individuals are exclusive and cannot be adequately addressed in the same framework as other common good issues. Racism has certain unique characteristics and involves factors such as historical traumas and cultural sensitivities. Environmental damage, for example, is viewed as a common problem, whereas racism poses a greater problem particularly for

GMH communities as it is premised on the ‘us-and-them’ mentality.

We must commit to study history of slavery, colonialism and racial discrimination objectively, but empathetically so as to prevent history repeating itself. It is heartening to learn that more resources are produced and published on racial justice. It plays a significant role in conscientizing people on the need for liberation from the yoke of racism.

Racial justice, I believe, is the God-given lens for the church of our times. This lens is a tool to look afresh at the gospel in a broader perspective. In Matthew 8.11 Christ says that ‘people of the east and the west’ will enter the kingdom of heaven. It cannot be put more succinctly or powerfully. Jesus deemed it essential to specify in no uncertain terms that people of the east and the west will enter the kingdom of heaven. Many fail to appreciate and imbibe this aspect of Jesus’ message. This Sunday is an opportunity for the gospel to be retold to bridge racial divides.

The lens of racial justice used in the right angle to look at the gospel will lead to positive cultural change. It will shed light on how God intends the church to grow in unity. When the gospel in its wholeness is cherished, GMH communities will feel welcome at churches. Diversity will embed itself at all levels of the church. At church gatherings we must ask who is missing. We must search for them, find them out and mainstream them. “Unite the Kingdom” certainly leaves GMH groups behind. There is little point in the Christian journey if we are leaving people of diverse ethnicities behind.

Significantly, from an eternal perspective, the battle for racial justice is already won. As Archbishop Tutu would put it in his own inimitable style, RES is a time to join the winning side. Every day we are getting closer to the day when everyone joins in the celebration and joyous singing and praise to God together. (Rev 7.9)

Godfrey Kesari

A Prayer for Racial Justice Sunday from the Church of England