Letters From Grandpa #122
- LETTERS FROM GRANDPA
- 122
Dearest grandchild,
Today’s letter will deal with the toxic concept of racial supremacy, and how the church of Jesus Christ helps to eliminate the problem. Consider, for example, this passage written to the Galatians: “You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” (Gal 3:26-28). The same truth was given to the Colossians: “Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator. Here there is no Greek or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all.” (Col 3:9-11)
While you struggle with many pressing issues that demand your attention, this idea may not seem relevant. Unfortunately, it is! World War 2, for example, was instigated by the Germans and the Japanese. Both of these nations felt superior to others. Hitler committed genocide and promoted eugenics as a way of promoting Aryan supremacy. Hirohito, ordered the murder of hundreds of thousands of Chinese and Koreans because he felt them inferior. Even the United States has been guilty of looking down upon Native Americans and blacks.
Mike and Carolyn Shrage went to Africa as missionaries. They worked for years with a Stone Age tribe known as the Pokots. This tribe believed that God had uniquely ordained them to own cattle. Consequently any other people with cattle were considered infidels worthy of death. The Pokots were proud of killing infidels and celebrated each death by marking their shoulder with a scar. A scar on one shoulder represented killing a man, and on the other shoulder a woman.
I have mentioned before another Stone Age tribe in South America. Their enemies called them “Aucas” which means “naked” or “savage”. They called themselves, however, “Huarani” which means “the people”. It seems that almost every ethnic group thinks they are special. On Jan. 8, 1956, when they murdered 5 American missionaries, their numbers had been reduced to only about 500. Yet, they still considered themselves “the people” and didn’t even have a word in their vocabulary for “world”.
Contrast this with Abraham. He was the patriarch of a very small tribe. He is not known for conquering great nations, building great structures, or writing great literature. Yet God promised him that through his family all the people of the earth would be blessed (Gen. 12:1 - 3). Incredibly, this promise has come true even though Abraham was an old man with no children at the time the promise was made.
If you will meditate upon God you will rise above the narrow parochialism of small minded people. In Christ we not only reach beyond our national borders to evangelize the world, but we set our sights on the transformation of the entire universe. We believe that Christ will not only bring together the fragmented nations and tribes of earth, but also the fragmented realities in the spirit
world. Please ponder these inspired words: “And he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, to be put into effect when the times will have reached their fulfillment — to bring all things in heaven and on earth together under one head, even Christ.” (Eph 1:9-10)
The remarkable unity that will someday envelope the entire universe begins in the church. “My brothers, as believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ, don't show favoritism. Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in shabby clothes also comes in. If you show special attention to the man wearing fine clothes and say, "Here's a good seat for you," but say to the poor man, "You stand there" or "Sit on the floor by my feet," have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?” (James 2:1 - 4)
Please take a few minutes and watch this link:
http://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=Video+of+Jacob+DeShazzer&view=detail&mid=AE696 2D82BB8FE906D4DAE6962D82BB8FE906D4D&FORM=VIRE
Remember! Jesus said: “By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another” (Jn. 13:35). God loved the whole world, and those who follow Christ do the same. We do not just love people like us, but we love everybody . . . even our enemies.
I love you,
Grandpa Boyce