I’m not sure if you’ve seen it in the news this week but in South Africa, in an unapologetic act of racism, a guest house owner said “blacks and government workers” are not allowed to stay at his guest house because “it’s God’s law” to segregate people by race.

I found this so shocking that I couldn’t believe my eyes as I read this news story. I am not sure what Bible this guy is reading because I certainly don’t find my Bible teaching that it’s God’s law to segregate people by race.

Have you heard people say that the Bible teaches racism? Allow me to share a little bit of what the Bible does say in regards to this.

  • God created only one race and that is the human race. There are different ethnicities within the human race such as African, Asian, Arab, Caucasian, Indian, and Jewish, but they are not different races. The Bible says in Acts 17:26, “From one man he made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands.”
  • In the Old Testament, God made a distinction between Jewish people and non-Jewish people (Gentiles). God’s intent with this was for the Jewish people to minister to the Gentiles and show them God’s ways. Instead, the Jewish people got proud and began despising the Gentiles. When Jesus came to earth, He challenged and rebuked this thinking. The Bible says in John 3:16, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”

So racism actually goes against what the Bible teaches. An eye-opening verse in 1 John 2:11 says, “But anyone who hates a brother or sister is in the darkness and walks around in the darkness. They do not know where they are going, because the darkness has blinded them.”

Racism is not from God, it’s actually really evil and we should never be shy to address it when we see it in any form.

Remember this:

  1. God loves everyone, even those who don’t acknowledge or love Him. So should we.
  2. God does not show favouritism, we are all created by Him, in His image, and He has great plans for all our lives.
  3. Pray for those who are in the darkness of racism, that God will show them the truth.

We are not responsible for other people’s actions, only our own. So let’s all be the change we want to see in the world. Putting an end to racism start with me and it starts with you.