Between Two Worlds

Most of us recognize that despite significant steps in education and legal resolution, there still exists a significant divide in the United States between blacks and whites.

Whites, for the most part, tend to view the United States as a generally colorblind society, free of overt, explicit racism. Racism is something that an older generation believed, or it is something that only something believed today by rednecks with a Confederate flag on their truck. Problems within the black community, they would argue, are largely due to black culture. They nod their heads when Bill Cosby says some hard words to the black community, wondering why no other black leaders are saying the obvious.

Blacks, on the other hand, tend to view America as a racially divided country. Because whites don’t walk in their shoes and don’t listen to their experience, whites don’t really have a clue as to what it’s like to be black in America. Few whites say explicitly racist things, but at the same time, few whites recognize that the structure of society—its economics, its educational system, its good-ol-boy network of advancing in business—prohibits black progress. Whites want to forget about the history of slavery and move on. But many blacks feel that this is naïve, wrong, and insensitive—ignoring that enslavement continues to bear its dysfunctional, destructive fruit. Whites are also clueless about their subtle actions and words which continue to perpetuate suspicion among whites and feelings of being different and inferior among blacks.

In short, both blacks and whites feel that the “other side” needs to change, and that will make things right.

The situation, in some ways, is enormously complex. But in reality, it is at the same time amazing simple. The root of the problems trace to one thing: sin. And the solution to the problems rest in on thing: the cross. And the path to get there is only one: grace.

I believe in common grace, and I believe in natural law. Politically, I also believe in incrementalism. For example, I would argue that even apart from supernatural revelation, all of us should, and do, know that abortion is wrong. I believe that arguments can be developed that show this, and that don’t explicitly appeal to God or his written Word. Politically, I believe we should support legislation that moves us along the path of making abortion rare and then unthinkable. This is a good task, and an important one. But it can never be sufficient. Jesus asked, “What does it profit a man to gain the whole world and to forfeit his soul?” So we can ask, “What does it profit a man to save an unborn child only to forfeit that baby’s soul?” Yes, saving the unborn is essential. I believe God has called us to it. But he also calls the church to something more: saving not only the physical life of that baby, but then being used of God to save that baby’s soul.

So it is with the race debates and the race divide. We may produce a perfectly harmonious society with perfect equality in every way. But what good is that if that society, having attended all the diversity-awareness seminars that exist, goes harmoniously to hell?

On this blog I have frequently cited Thomas Sowell. I have no idea what Sowell thinks of Christ. To my knowledge, he has never written about the most important question any of us can ever ask. But the main reason I cite Sowell is that, if he is not a believer in Christ, he has received a great deal of common grace, and is able to say many true things. His particular gift is in using logic, study, and history to show why so many proposed solutions are wrongheaded and based on untruth. At the same time, I hope that my frequent citation of Sowell does not give the mistaken impression that I think he has the final answers. Let me say it loud and clear: final answers can only be found in the cross. The cross levels all of our pride. It cuts out all of our boasting. It destroys arrogance and cockiness and victimology and whining. Those who stand at the cross have found true reconciliation.

Let us therefore flee together to Calvary.