Race Relations

The fierce outbreak of rioting this past summer in Miami, Florida, came as

an ugly reminder of racial tensions in parts of the United States. Each summer from 1964 to 1968 there had been similar outbreaks of serious racial violence in certain American cities, where concentrations of coloured people felt aggrieved by social conditions and by a sense of injustice. The annual sequence of rioting became known as the "long hot summer". Then quite abruptly it stopped. In an attempt to relieve the basic causes of discontent a series of reforms was introduced - more political power for coloured people, institution of police review boards and a variety of job programmes.

The similar pattern of violence renewed at Miami this year was an unwelcome indication of continuing resentments. The trouble on this occasion came as a reaction to what was regarded as a miscarriage of justice in favour of white against black. Whatever the rights or wrongs of the case involved, the outrageous resort to killing, looting and burning could only heighten tensions and leave great bitterness and loss.

Other nations have the problem on a smaller scale, when concentrations of coloured people in large cities have led to difficult social conditions such as bad housing and a high level of unemployment among young people. This tends to encourage crime, and when law enforcement is applied there is the possibility of resentments being aroused.

On the African continent the racial problem is seen in different perspective. Since World War II most African countries have known the transfer of political control from a white minority to African leadership. The establishment of Zimbabwe with black majority rule this year carried the process a step further, but the long, bloody guerilla war against Rhodesia which preceded Zimbabwe's independence illustrated the hatreds stirred by racial tensions.

These tensions persist in South Africa, where the policy of apartheid has been imposed on the country's twenty million black people by a government representing the white minority. Rioting and strikes earlier this year expressed

the discontent which simmers among the unprivileged, a discontent ready to boil over on provocation. 1980 has also brought a significant strategic change, with Zimbabwe now under African control, and Namibia (formerly South West Africa) soon likely to be.

So the South African government can foresee the possibility of overwhelming pressure from "black African" nations, combined with mass rebellion by the country's non-white population. Doubtless such fears have influenced Prime Minister Botha to propose sweeping changes in what is known as "petty apartheid". In Johannesburg apartheid has been modified to the extent that most restaurants and theatres are racially mixed. The laws prohibiting interracial sex and marriage are to be reviewed. Regulations which ban non-whites from certain skills, or jobs in which they would supervise whites, are not always enforced. This shift in policy is felt to be insufficient by those championing the black cause, but hard line supporters of apartheid attack Botha as a traitor to the group which brought him to power. Much prayer is needed for South Africa, 'that in God's mercy wise counsels may prevail among all sections of the community, and a solution be found which will save its peoples from disruption and bloodshed.

Our New Testament reflects the ancient racial tension between Jew and Gentile. This was illustrated by Peter's slowness to appreciate that he must no longer call any man common or unclean. For some time after Pentecost he had retained his Jewish prejudice against joining himself to one of another nation (Acts 10:9-16,28). Several years later he was still so inhibited by other Jewish believers' prejudices that he earned a sharp rebuke from Paul (Gal. 2:11-14). So racial prejudice died hard among some of the disciples in churches of God at that time.

Yet Paul could write to the Ephesians that in Christ Jesus the enmity between Jew and Gentile had been abolished through the cross. Christ had created in Himself of Jew and Gentile one new man, so making peace, reconciling them both in one Body unto God through the cross, having slain the enmity thereby. Gentiles had become within the churches of God "fellow-citizens with the saints, and of the household of God" (Eph. 2:13-19). A new holy nation had thereby been brought into being, a people for God's own possession, drawn together into one visible community. It was a multi-racial people, bound together by love to Christ, loyalty to His word, and therefore love one to another.

Within churches of God today, as in the New Testament churches of God, the love of Christ dispels racial prejudice. Differences of colour and culture seem insignificant compared with our common relationship as children of God, our being indwelt by the same Spirit, our being made fellow-citizens with the saints and of the household of God. In prayer and witness our love will flow out widely to all races. As the Master said, "My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations": and did he not also command that disciples should be made of all the nations?

Racial discrimination withers before the love of Christ!

unknown | Nov 1980
Focus