Amidst the unrest that we are witnessing in our country today, there seems to be a sense of confusion and anxiousness about what is occurring in our land. There is not a simple explanation as the issues are somewhat complex. Having said that, I want to provide a lens that has helped me make some sense of it all.
I believe that at the heart of the issue may be identity. Identity may not the only issue but it is the heart of the issue. This issue of identity is grounded in a verse from I Samuel (16:7):
For God sees not as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.
God looks at the heart of each person while the natural man or woman looks on the appearance. God looks on the inside while people look on the outside.
Identity in Christ
Since I have become a Christian, the formation of my identity has shifted from the outside to the inside. On the inside, I am a “new man.” As a Christian, my identity is now connected to my born-again spirit that has been recreated to be righteous, holy, and complete (Eph. 4:24). So when I look at myself, I now look more on the inside. Of course, my family heritage, traditions, and legacy are all important, but that is not where my true identity is found; it is found in my relationship with Christ.
In the New Testament, we are directed to look, not at the outer appearance of a person, but at a person’s heart and the content of their character. Jesus Christ broke down the barrier of the dividing wall between all people, making us into one mankind in Christ, thus establishing peace. Christ reconciled all of us – black, white, brown, red, yellow – into the one body of Christ (Eph. 2:14). In Christ, all people are now fellow citizens, heirs, members, and partakers in the one body of Christ (Eph. 2:19; 3:6). The key is to accept Christ as Savior to receive your real identity.
We are neither Jew nor Greek (no separation by race or color), or male nor female (no separation by gender) because we are all one in Christ Jesus (Gal. 3:28). But you have to accept that identity.
As a result of my life as a Christian, I see my identity connected to my born-again spirit, that is to say, connected to Christ. I have learned (am still learning) to look beyond the appearance of a person and instead at his or her heart. I’m seeking to be like my heavenly Father and look on the heart and not only at the appearance of a person.
This is one lens of identity. There is another view of identity which presses against this Christ-based view of identity.
Identity in Culture and Race
There are others who see their identity connected to culture (race and color) as the essence of their identify. They look at the outer appearance for validation rather than on the heart, like their Creator. The grounding of their identity is not in Christ who took down the barrier between all people, but their identity is in their race and color. As a result, they may not have real peace in their identity. Christ has established peace but it is not based on the outer self – race and culture – but on a new identity on the inside.
As a result of these two different reference points of identity, there is confusion and conflict. As long as there is a refusal to connect one’s identity to Christ and the new nature and the identity He has provided, there will not be peace. We see this played out in the national rhetoric and amplified by the mainstream media. It’s all about the reference point of one’s identity.
What if a person, anchored to his or her identity in Christ, were to say when looking at a person of another race, “When I look at this person, I don’t see color.” A person with a cultural identity based on race and color might throw up a penalty flag and declare that this person is racist or culturally insensitive. My question: Is this Christian really culturally insensitive and not culturally competent? Maybe or maybe not; on the surface, there is not enough information to answer this question. Could it be that these two people reflect two very different views of identity?
Could it be that the Christian whose identity is anchored in Christ and who understands that Christ broke down the barrier between all people has chosen to look at the heart and the content of character of others and not focus on the color or race of the person? Could it be that this Christian is looking through the eyes of his or her Creator and is not looking on the outer appearance like a natural man or woman but at the heart?
If pressed further, this Christian might say, “Of course I see the obvious that this is a person of color and that he or she has a culture that is different from mine. But I choose to be like my heavenly Father and look at the heart.” Then, saying “I don’t see color” is not meant as a statement of disrespect in any way but as the genuine Biblical attitude to look at the heart.
At the same time, if a Christian thinks that saying “I don’t see color” might be perceived as offensive or misunderstood, then he or she should refrain from making the statement. If a Christian really is culturally insensitive in their own heart, then that is an issue that must be addressed.
Why might people who call themselves “Christian” be confused by the current rhetoric? I think there are two reasons. First, the person may not be a Christian by experience but only identifies himself or herself with Christianity. The second reason is that the person is a born-again Christian but is not fully grounded in his or her identity in Christ. (For either person, I might suggest reading my book, Activating What’s in Your Born-Again Spirit. Ordering information can be found at www.lonstettler.com.)
Blood and Identity
Finally, let me say that blood and identity go hand-in-hand. This is can be seen in genetics.
For the Christian, it is the shed blood of Christ which gives us our true identity. In Christ, people with different skin colors and cultural experience are brought together in oneness. Our color should not separate us because our collective identity is in Christ. A Christian brother whose skin color is black or brown, for example, is a brother to me because our identity on the inside is in Christ. We are all one in the family of God because our identity derives from the Blood of Christ.
For the pre-Christian, their identity is likely connected to their race and culture. Again, blood and identity go hand-in-hand.
I have an appreciation and pride in my family and my ancestors, and like many of you, have checked out ancestory.com to find out more of my family history. I have even traveled to city from where my ancestors emigrated to come to America. My connection to my family and family line has formed one sense of my identity (hence, my outer appearance and values), but my real identity is who I am in Christ (in my heart). All lives matter to God, not because He is looking at our appearance, but because He is looking at our heart.