Personal Responsibility to a Racial Injustice

George Floyd … Ahmaud Arbery … Christian Cooper. These recent and tragic cases of racial injustice inflicted upon people of color have captured national attention, and pricked the nation’s conscience. It has reminded us that America has a problem that we have failed to properly address throughout the course of our history. Some progress has been made, of course, but not nearly enough, and now, once again, the frustration of these moral injustices is at the boiling point! We must address, and redress, these issues of first importance for our civil society to continue. So how do we do that, especially those of us in the majority culture? Certainly it is a complex discussion, but one of the first things we can do is to seek God’s heart on the matter. And the place to start is in his Word. Read and absorb 2 Samuel 21 where King David offers reparation for the racial genocide inflicted upon a minority group from a previous administration, then let God speak to your heart from his about how you can proceed today.

The Journey // Focus: 2 Samuel 21:1-3

What do we make of a chapter like this? God has revealed to King David that divine disfavor in the form of a three-year drought has afflicted Israel because of the sins of the former king. Specifically, King Saul had sorely mistreated the Gibeonites, a group of foreigners that Joshua had covenanted to protect during Israel’s subjection of the Promised Land. (Joshua 9:15) We don’t know what he did, but it was so morally offensive to God that he sent a drought, and it was so brutal that the Gibeonites wanted to take their revenge against the household of Saul. And God permitted it.

Again I say, what are we to do with that? I don’t know that any biblical scholar can give an adequate answer to that question, and anyone who presumes to speak for God on the matter is probably wrong, but one of the insights that I have gleaned from reading the Old Testament is that much of the brutality we sometimes come across is frankly the result of what happens when men forget God. When the law of God is set aside, in the individual heart and in the national conscience, and there is no controlling moral authority, the people and their leaders begin to do what seems right in their own eyes. And that is always disastrous.

Another spiritual insight from this story is that God takes our covenants with him and with one another quite seriously. When we set aside what we have sworn to do because of the inconvenience it creates for us, or because we suddenly don’t like it, or we want to renegotiate our contract, or we are lured by a far better deal, we have become morally offensive to the covenant-keeping God. And there will be consequences. In the case of this chapter, Israel was now suffering, many years after Saul’s covenant violation.

Now as we fast-forward to the twenty first century, granted, America is not a theocracy like Israel. We do not have leaders who are God-hearted like Joshua and David. Our governmental leaders do not call for the high priest to consult the Urim and Thummin to determine the mind of God. In fact, a growing number of leaders want to do away with “the mind of God” completely. Be that as it may, does God still hold us nationally responsible for violating his covenant in how we have treated groups of people, especially minorities? My sense is, yes he does.

There is much debate these days over reparations for the national sin of slavery. People and leaders seem to take polar opposite sides on this one, but is this something that we seriously need to consider? Could it be that much of the racial tension and hostility today has roots in the unaddressed shame of what happened to our brothers and sisters of color during slavery? But let’s not stop there: what about the treatment of Native Americans? What about Japanese Americans who were placed in internment camps during World War II (I have a close friend of Japanese heritage whose parents lost everything when they were placed in one of those camps, and never got back what they lost)?

Since God’s Word is true and unchanging, we can rightly assume that we suffer nationally and culturally today because of national sins for which both people and leaders have not repented. Now that doesn’t answer the question of reparations—and that is a very complex issue. But what I do know is that when we authentically repent, these seven steps must be taken:

• Acknowledge what I did by stating the offense. (“I did ‘it’”)
• Admit that I was wrong. (“I was wrong”)
• Express regret for my offense. (“I am sorry”)
• Ask: “Will you or when you can, will you forgive me?” Wait for their answer.
• Ask: “Will you hold me accountable? I give you permission to hold me accountable from now on.”
• Ask: “Is there anything else?” (With the intent, “Is there anything else you want to share with me or say to me that I may have done?”)
• Ask, “what can I do to make it up to you?” (As much as it is possible, be willing to make restitution.)

Of course, you and I cannot force our national leaders to do this, but we can pray that they will have the moral courage to figure it out. And, when we personally sin, or when we become aware that there is corporate sin within our family, we can and should follow these six steps to God-honoring relational repentance.

What would happen if we covenanted to live this way, as individuals, in our families, churches, business, and for sure, in our nation?  I think we would see a revival of God’s general grace upon us like never before.

Going Deeper With God: Reflect on Jesus’ words—then obey the prompting of the Holy Spirit: “If you’re offering your gift at the altar and remember someone has something against you, leave your gift at the altar. First go and be reconciled to them; then come and offer your gift.” (Matthew 5:23-24)