SHOULD CHRISTIANS BE COLORBLIND?
STRIVING TOWARDS IMPARTIALITY, UNITY, AND DIVERSITY IN THE CHURCH
Key Facts
One small internet survey performed by a professor at The Ohio State University at Mansfield found that 73% of Americans claimed to be colorblind. [1]
According to a 2016 study, 73% of Millennials believe “never considering race would improve society.” 68% believe “focusing on race prevents society from becoming colorblind.” 70% say “they don’t see racial minority groups any differently than they see white people.” 81% believe that “embracing diversity and celebrating differences between the races would improve society.” [2]
Key Scriptures
Revelation 7:9-10 After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, "Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!"
2 Corinthians 5:16 “From now on, therefore, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we once regarded Christ according to the flesh, we regard him thus no longer.”
James 2:1-4 “My brothers, show no partiality as you hold the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory. For if a man wearing a gold ring and fine clothing comes into your assembly, and a poor man in shabby clothing also comes in, and if you pay attention to the one who wears the fine clothing and say, "You sit here in a good place," while you say to the poor man, "You stand over there," or, "Sit down at my feet," have you not then made distinctions among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts? “
Romans 2:11-12 “For God shows no partiality. For all who have sinned without the law will also perish without the law, and all who have sinned under the law will be judged by the law.”
Acts 10:34-35 “So Peter opened his mouth and said: "Truly I understand that God shows no partiality, but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him.”
Galatians 3:26-28 “For in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.”
Ephesians 4:4-6 “There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call—one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.”
Colossians 3:11 “Here there is not Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free; but Christ is all, and in all.”
1 Corinthians 12:12-14 “For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit. For the body does not consist of one member but of many.”
1 Corinthians 1:10 “I appeal to you, brothers, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same judgment.”
John 17:20-23 "I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me. The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one, I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me.
Acts 17:26-27 “And he made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place, that they should seek God, and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him. Yet he is actually not far from each one of us.”
Also see: Acts 6:1-7, 1 Corinthians 12:1-31
Want to Know More?
Desiring God - Should We Be "Colorblind" About Race?
The Gospel Coalition - 4 Reasons You Shouldn’t Be Colorblind
9 Marks - Don’t Be Color-Blind at Church
North Hills Church - Should Christians be "color blind?"
The Arc - From Color Blind Christianity to Unity
Neil Shenvi - Is ‘colorblind theology’ heretical?
Core Christianity - Why the Bible Doesn’t Teach Us to be Colorblind
Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission - Does Galatians 3:28 mean Christians should be colorblind?
Application
Have you ever heard someone say, “I don’t see race. I’m colorblind.”? In a time when our country is dealing with increasing racial tensions, how Christians view the issue of race, color, and ethnicity is continuing to grow in importance.
When a person claims they are colorblind, they usually say that they “don't see” a person's color, race, or ethnicity. However, unless that person is physically blind, this is not literally true. What is actually meant is that an individual strives not to have a negative attitude towards someone or treat anyone differently because of their color, race, or ethnicity. For many Christians, colorblindness means that they strive to see a person’s underlying humanity in the image of God rather than their particular race, color, or ethnicity. This, in turn, provides a basis for fighting against racism and discrimination. If we are all made in the image of God, then we are all fundamentally equal and worthy of equal treatment. However, while identifying as colorblind can seem to be very good, is this the best way for a Christian to view these things, or does colorblindness have drawbacks?
What Does the Bible Say?
There are three biblical values which we must address to answer this question properly: impartiality, unity, and diversity.
Showing impartiality is a biblical virtue (James 2:1-4). In the book of Acts, we see that for the early church, it was difficult for the Jewish Christians to accept the notion that God had accepted the Gentiles (non-Jews). The Jews had always lived as God’s chosen people, the ones who had been given the Scriptures, the prophets, and the ones through whom the Messiah would come. For many Jews, the fact that God extended his salvation to non-Jews was hard to believe. Yet, this was just the outworking of God’s character. God is impartial (Acts 10:34-35, Romans 2:11). This means that God does not look upon outward appearances but upon the heart (1 Samuel 16:7). In judgment, God does not give preferential treatment based on class, gender, nationality, ethnicity, etc. This is what makes impartiality a critical component of the gospel. To be saved, what matters is not one’s ethnicity but their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.
Next, is the issue of unity. Because of our sinfulness, humanity’s natural tendency is to be tribalistic and to divide ourselves based on one characteristic or another. This is why much of the driving narrative of the New Testament is the unity that we have in Christ (Galatians 3:28, Colossians 3:11). Before his crucifixion, Jesus prayed that those who would come to believe in him would be “one” with one another as he was one with the Father. (John 17:2-23). In the Corinthian church, divisions were forming over whether they liked Paul or Peter or Apollos. Yet, Paul reminds them that Christ is the one who died for them (1 Corinthians 1:13, 22-25; 2:2) and the one who is their unifying principle (1 Corinthians 8:6). Paul also reminded the Ephesian church that, “There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call—one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all” (Ephesians 4:4-6). Based on these and many other verses, it could be argued that unity in the church is one of the most prominent themes in the New Testament.
So, clearly, unity has a high importance, but where does diversity fit into the picture? In some sense, diversity has existed from the very beginning. When God made man in his image, he created us male and female (Genesis 1:27). So, we can see that gender provides an element of diversity essential to human nature, but what about race and ethnicity? Although not apparent in the beginning, Paul describes in Acts 17:26-27 that God made all nations from one man in order that we might seek him. While Adam and Eve didn’t have a race or ethnicity per se (because in some sense those categories only exist to distinguish us from other groups, which did not exist yet), it is from them that all of the races, colors, and ethnicities of people today have descended. In a very real way, the diversity expressed in race, color, and ethnicity is an incredible outgrowth of God’s original creation and serves to magnify and glorify him. This is perhaps why, in Revelation 5:9-10 and 7:9-10, these things appear to transcend into eternity. In John’s vision, he sees Christians from every people, tribe, tongue, and nation standing before God clothed in white praising him.
Is Being Colorblind the Best Way?
Colorblindness, understood with people’s best intentions in mind, strives towards the biblical values of impartiality and unity. As explained at the beginning, for most people who consider themselves colorblind, the main goals in doing so are usually an effort to promote equality and equal treatment among the different races by looking to our common humanity and creation in the image of God. These are worthwhile goals.
However, colorblindness also has drawbacks. First, colorblindness can fail to account for the God-given racial diversity among humanity and can imply a lack of appreciation for those differences. Sometimes, individuals who hold to being ‘colorblind’ will dismiss the diverse experiences of other ethnicities because they fear that it threatens unity. On the contrary, part of the power of the gospel is displayed in the fact that unity exists in the body of Christ despite its incredible diversity. If everyone were exactly the same, then it wouldn’t be any great feat for there to be unity. Yet, the fact that Jesus Christ can unite such disparate groups of people speaks to the power and glory of God and the gospel. Therefore, Christians should not shy away from noticing or appreciating the differences of others, including race, color, or ethnicity. To ignore such things is to ignore the ways in which God has uniquely made them or uniquely called them to serve in the body (1 Corinthians 12:14, 19, Romans 12:4-5).
Second, the term colorblind risks miscommunication. When people of color hear someone say that they are colorblind, this can communicate to them that we are trying to ignore or do not appreciate an essential piece of their humanity and how God created them. As Isaac Adams, a pastor at Capitol Hill Baptist Church in Washington, D.C. said, “We love people less when we ignore how God made them.” Malcolm Foley, an author, wrote, “If you are blind to my Blackness, you are blind to me.” By saying that we “don’t see color/race,” we are communicating, “I don’t see you or appreciate how God made you different from me.” Even if this is not what we intend, Christians should strive to communicate in such a way that is effective, honors the listener, and presents the truth in love (Proverbs 18:2, Colossians 4:6, Ephesians 4:15, 29).
Conclusion
Colorblindness, while for some represents a desire to advocate for impartiality and unity, for others can represent a lack of appreciation for the diversity expressed in another’s humanity through their race, color, and ethnicity. In order to avoid miscommunication, it may be best for Christians to avoid such a label or describing themselves in that way. Christains must strive towards all three biblical values of impartiality, unity, and diversity, allowing ourselves to both see and appreciate our differences and the beauty of God’s creation without leading to division or showing partiality. Often, these values will feel like they come into tension with one another, especially in the political realm. We must pursue wisdom and ask God for help as we strive towards seeking God’s will in navigating race relations (Proverbs 4:5, James 1:5).