I Have A Dream
Today is Martin Luther King Day, and people all over the country are celebrating his life and legacy.
People remember him most for his “I Have A Dream” speech delivered at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C. on August 28, 1963. Referring to the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence he challenged the nation to make good he promise that all people are guaranteed inalienable rights of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.
He dreamed of a day in which the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners would be able to sit down together at a table of brotherhood. He dreamed of a day in which justice would prevail throughout the land for people of all colors. He dreamed of a time in which people would not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.
Forty-two years later we have not eliminated discrimination from our land. There are still people content to mistreat those of other races. There are those who try to justify denying equal opportunity to people whose skin is a different color.
On this day, it is important to point out that the Bible does not condone discrimination on the basis of another person’s skin color.
For example, Genesis 2:7 says, “LORD God formed man [of] the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.”
All men originate from this one man, Adam and his wife Eve. There are no other possibilities. If you are reading this post, Adam and Eve are you original ancestors.
With that truth in mind, it is ridiculous to treat people as inferior because of the color of their skin. We are all from the same family. We are part of the human race.
Second, in Genesis 1:26 God says, “Let us make man in our image, after our image.” That verse teaches that we are all made in the image of God. Regardless of a person’s color, that person in some we reflects the image of God, just as we do. We cannot rightfully mistreat or denigrate those who are made in the image of God.
Third, as members of the Body of Christ we are one in Christ. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, slave or free.
These Biblical truths are especially significant because there are those who try to pervert the Bible into justifying racism.
For example, some mention the curse upon Cain for killing Abel. God put a mark on Cain so that he would be easily identified. Others point to the curse upon Canaan, Ham’s son, as a justification for the inferiority of blacks. The curse says, “Cursed be Canaan; A servant of servants He shall be to his brothers” (Gen 9:25).
The unfounded assumption is skin color is part of the curse upon Cain or that African blacks are descendants Canaan. There is no evidence in support of these assertions. The Bible certainly does not make that leap.
It is time for people to reject these false teachings that justify racism. They demean the message of the Bible and the God of the Bible.
In his speech Dr. King refers to Isaiah 40:4-5, “Every valley shall be exalted, every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight, and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together.”
That passage speaks of a future time in which the Lord will return to the earth in great glory and rule with righteousness. Christians await that magnificent moment.
When Christ returns He will not allow racism to continue on the earth. He will immediately bring judgment against those who promote and practice unrighteousness.
If racism will absolutely be eliminated in the future, why not eliminate it today. We must ask the Lord to give us the grace to regard others more highly than ourselves (Phil 2:3). We must also diligently expose racist error and replace it with truth. Finally, we must take these truths off the page and put them into action.
The result should be that Christians become more righteous in their relationships and glorify God who created us all in his image. Second, our nation becomes a better place for everyone as we move toward achieving the vision of Dr. King when he so boldly and courageously proclaimed, “I have a dream.”
People remember him most for his “I Have A Dream” speech delivered at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C. on August 28, 1963. Referring to the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence he challenged the nation to make good he promise that all people are guaranteed inalienable rights of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.
He dreamed of a day in which the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners would be able to sit down together at a table of brotherhood. He dreamed of a day in which justice would prevail throughout the land for people of all colors. He dreamed of a time in which people would not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.
Forty-two years later we have not eliminated discrimination from our land. There are still people content to mistreat those of other races. There are those who try to justify denying equal opportunity to people whose skin is a different color.
On this day, it is important to point out that the Bible does not condone discrimination on the basis of another person’s skin color.
For example, Genesis 2:7 says, “LORD God formed man [of] the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.”
All men originate from this one man, Adam and his wife Eve. There are no other possibilities. If you are reading this post, Adam and Eve are you original ancestors.
With that truth in mind, it is ridiculous to treat people as inferior because of the color of their skin. We are all from the same family. We are part of the human race.
Second, in Genesis 1:26 God says, “Let us make man in our image, after our image.” That verse teaches that we are all made in the image of God. Regardless of a person’s color, that person in some we reflects the image of God, just as we do. We cannot rightfully mistreat or denigrate those who are made in the image of God.
Third, as members of the Body of Christ we are one in Christ. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, slave or free.
These Biblical truths are especially significant because there are those who try to pervert the Bible into justifying racism.
For example, some mention the curse upon Cain for killing Abel. God put a mark on Cain so that he would be easily identified. Others point to the curse upon Canaan, Ham’s son, as a justification for the inferiority of blacks. The curse says, “Cursed be Canaan; A servant of servants He shall be to his brothers” (Gen 9:25).
The unfounded assumption is skin color is part of the curse upon Cain or that African blacks are descendants Canaan. There is no evidence in support of these assertions. The Bible certainly does not make that leap.
It is time for people to reject these false teachings that justify racism. They demean the message of the Bible and the God of the Bible.
In his speech Dr. King refers to Isaiah 40:4-5, “Every valley shall be exalted, every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight, and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together.”
That passage speaks of a future time in which the Lord will return to the earth in great glory and rule with righteousness. Christians await that magnificent moment.
When Christ returns He will not allow racism to continue on the earth. He will immediately bring judgment against those who promote and practice unrighteousness.
If racism will absolutely be eliminated in the future, why not eliminate it today. We must ask the Lord to give us the grace to regard others more highly than ourselves (Phil 2:3). We must also diligently expose racist error and replace it with truth. Finally, we must take these truths off the page and put them into action.
The result should be that Christians become more righteous in their relationships and glorify God who created us all in his image. Second, our nation becomes a better place for everyone as we move toward achieving the vision of Dr. King when he so boldly and courageously proclaimed, “I have a dream.”
posted by Steve at 7:09 PM
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