The Gospel of Jesus Christ is a leveler that appears lost from human history. Life features that matter highly in society were often precluded to Scripture and church. Much is made in secular reporting of racial segregation, so divisive, in the church in America before the Civil War, but continued in an unclear cultural pattern until experience after World War II. Some racial prejudice continues on a reduced level, and without support of authorities and the nation’s best leadership. It is muted but tenacious. It will continue at some level no matter how insignificant it may become, simply because we are flawed and find prejudice in any context in which we are found. Our solutions are generally found in reducing an evil, so to avoid discouragement that wrongs can’t be managed, even if not destroyed. The same attitude holds for doing good. We continue the good, despite broad resistance or neglect. Perfection waits for heaven.
Helping to deal with wrongs, society sometimes includes correcting the human factors in the church (as would be the case during some periods of the medieval period, or the American church divisions on slavery during the 19th century). One might look at the conduct of the church when disregarding the common general prejudice. Some missionaries were sent from the American south to nations of other races than white, and the work they did was commendable in offering not only the story of redemption, but of better mortal life. They offered education, especially in learning how to read – so to be able to at least read Scripture. Peoples were helped in understanding better nutrition, were served in semi-medical capacities – trained doctors were recruited later. Children were given attention, hope and dreams were born. Various untouchables were declared equal in all, deserving of humane attitudes and conduct. Authorities were solicited to improve situations, and some gradually joined the humane agenda. Materials were sent. I remember a report, the statement of a severe red-neck, believing himself to be a Christian, who demanded from his church the assurance that none of his contributions would go to assist anyone of a different race than he. His church continued to support the worldwide missions of the denomination. And, I hope his pastor instructed him that in the creation all persons are to be found equal, and deserving of the gospel.
The point is to be made, that as there are prejudiced persons in any institution, so must the church bear those members uninstructed and/or unreconciled who continue in a pattern unworthy of the model of Jesus Christ. Part of the ancient prejudice against Christ, contributing to the event of his crucifixion, was that he hobnobbed with some who were the objects of prejudice and vitriol. Even some of those prejudiced were prejudiced against. Such is the nature and society by and for mankind. Many just didn’t get it, and many still don’t. Jesus gave nearly all of his time to the general public who sensed some needs of all mankind. Some sophisticated persons seemed taken with self – seeing peasants rather than themselves as the enemy.
The point to be made here is that some of history’s story has been distorted, and the best parts of it may not have been told, or told without adequate publicity. This is partly because we find the negatives, the conflicts, the sordidness, the mistakes, the sins, to be juicier than the virtues, the truths, the elevations, the benefits. There is something in us that believes the good takes care of itself, so we must accent the darker areas of life. Were we to decide that the beauty, the lift, the worthiness of life is found in the good, the healing, the aspirations of self and service, and the like we would be lifted out of the corners of depravity to the light of virtue. Virtue in society is achieved in working with others, in seeking for improvement, in acceptance of one another while the evils of sin – selfishness, jealousy, greed, dominance, distortion, hatred, abuse, and the like are being exposed for what they are – enemies. These themes Jesus addressed and called us also to address. Righteousness is right. We may miss much of what God has for us because we reserve some words for religious contexts. Scripture addresses universal ideas. Righteousness exalteth a nation and sin is a reproach to any people. (Proverbs 14:34) One of the ways to address human problems is to make some concepts, founded in Christian faith, more accepted as norms even for secular life. It is good for the world to know where many of those ideas emanated. Idealistic ideas and actions don’t maintain themselves without divine assistance. To reach our best God must sustain us. *Mark W. Lee, Sr. — 2016, 2020