Jesus loves the little children

All the children of the world

Red and yellow, black and white

They are precious in His sight

Jesus loves the little children of the world.

I remember singing this song as a young child at Springdell Baptist Church in Lancaster, South Carolina. I’m really not sure that I gave much attention to the words of the song, especially as a child. It was just a song sung in church. And, I must admit, that as I have grown into senior adulthood there have been many times I have joined with others in singing some of the great old hymns of the faith while my mind wandered, thinking of a million things while singing along.

But, if you would think with me for a few minutes, I would like to revisit that song, giving it a little more serious thought than perhaps we gave it as children. Do we really believe the lyrics? Can we honestly say that we believe Jesus REALLY loves children of all colors? And, for the sake of discussion, let’s replace the word ‘children’ with the word ‘people’. Jesus loves people: red, yellow, black and white people!

The verse of Scripture that is probably the most memorized and quoted verse in the entire Bible shows us the very heart of God:

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believes in Him would not perish but have everlasting life.”

John 3:16

God so loved the WORLD. The world of humanity, which consists of all people groups, all ethnicities, all colors. God is the ultimate non-racist being! When He initially created humans (it all began with just two, Adam and Eve), He placed His stamp of approval on them by asserting, “It is very good.” This statement included more than the humans He had created; it actually included all of the created order. However, the word ‘very’ was only part of the decree after the creation of humans.

We could get sidetracked at this point by giving attention to the different people groups that populate this planet, trying to explain where they all originated, but that will have to be a discussion for another time. This blog is simply focusing on the fact that God created one human race that includes all the different people groups.

Therefore, in the eyes of God, we are one race. There is not a white race, a black race, a yellow race, a red race. There is only one: the human race. Therefore, if we say that one ‘race’ matters to the exclusion of other ‘races’, then we have become racist. If I say, “__________ lives matter,” inserting ‘black,’ ‘white’, ‘red’, or ‘yellow’ in the blank, then I have become a racist by placing one ‘race’ above others.

Please understand that I am not one who lives with his head in the sand, oblivious to the atrocities committed by one ethnic group over another throughout history. I am well aware of the horrific episodes of genocide generated by ‘racial hatred’ for the purpose of ethnic cleansing. There has always been a perverted and distorted view of humanity by those who believe one ethnic group is somehow better than another ethnic group. According to the World Atlas, the following is a list of the ten worst periods of genocide in history:

• The holocaust: 1939-45 Nazi Europe 5-17 million killed
• Holodomor: 1932-33 Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic 1.8-7.5 million killed
• Cambodian Genocide: 1975-79 Democratic Kampuchea 1.3-3 million killed
• Kazakh Genocide: 1931-33 Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic 1.3-1.75 million killed
• Armenian Genocide: 1915-22 Ottoman Empire 700,000-1.5 million killed
• Rwandan Genocide: 1994 Rwanda 500,000-1 million killed
• Zunghar Genocide: 1758-75 Qing Dynasty 480,000-600,000 killed
• Circassian Genocide: 1864-67 Circassia 400,00-1.5 million killed
• Genocide by the Ustashe: 1941-45 Independent State of Croatia 357,000-600,000 killed
• Bangladesh Genocide: 1971 Bangladesh 300,000-3 million killed

It is clear from this list, and the many other examples that could be added, that there have always been those of one ethnic group who have believed they were better than others. But that does not make it right!

As Christians, we must follow the example of our Lord, Jesus Christ. We must embrace the Biblical truth that man (all-inclusive) was created in the image of God. Color of skin should not be a factor in our view of one ethnicity over another. Yes, red, yellow, black and white are all precious in His sight. And those who would follow Him must view the human race as one. We should embrace our many commonalities, while respecting our many differences. If we are going to fill in the blank “_______ lives matter”, let’s do it right. “All lives matter.” Let’s respect one another, accept one another, love one another. Let’s listen to each other’s story. Let’s learn about our differences while celebrating our likenesses. Let’s see the different ‘colors’ of skin, while understanding that every different color is a part of the human family.

And, let’s let the light of God’s love shine through us, so that others might see a path through the darkness and have opportunity to embrace the light of God’s mercy and grace.