"While they were at Hazeroth, Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses because of the Cushite woman whom he had married (for he had indeed married a Cushite woman); and they said, “Has the Lord spoken only through Moses? Has he not spoken through us also?” And the Lord heard it...And the anger of the Lord was kindled against them, and he departed." Numbers 12:1-2, 9
After he fled Egypt as a young man Moses had settled in a foreign land, worked for a man there, and married his employer's daughter. Upon his return to lead his people to freedom, Moses' brother and sister complained that he had taken a Cushite wife. The people of Cush lived in the region of Ethiopia, and were understood to be descendants of Noah's son Ham. They were people with dark skin.
Noah had cursed Ham and his descendants when Ham had covered him when he was sleeping, naked, and drunk. This curse has often been used to justify racism, especially by American slaveholders and their apologists. God, however, not only rejects Aaron and Miriam's complaint, God punishes Miriam for it. God clearly and firmly says no to racism - both theirs, and ours.
In the book of Acts, Phillip is led by God to offer the Gospel to an Ethiopian eunuch and to baptize the man when he asks. This is a significant event, a radical expansion of the community's understanding of who was acceptable to God. The Ethiopian man - regardless of his nationality, his race, his status as a sexual minority - is every bit a bearer of God's image, very much a part of the body of Christ.
The witness of scripture is more than simply non-racist, however. The witness of scripture is that as long as racism exists we are all poisoned by it. The witness of scripture is that racism is sin. The witness of scripture is that God breaks down walls of racism by sending us, as disciples of Jesus, to overcome racist systems. The witness of scripture is that God is an anti-racist.
It is not sufficient for us to reject racism. As disciples of Jesus we must actively eliminate it. We must, and with God's help we can.
Peace for the journey,
Pastor Steve
After he fled Egypt as a young man Moses had settled in a foreign land, worked for a man there, and married his employer's daughter. Upon his return to lead his people to freedom, Moses' brother and sister complained that he had taken a Cushite wife. The people of Cush lived in the region of Ethiopia, and were understood to be descendants of Noah's son Ham. They were people with dark skin.
Noah had cursed Ham and his descendants when Ham had covered him when he was sleeping, naked, and drunk. This curse has often been used to justify racism, especially by American slaveholders and their apologists. God, however, not only rejects Aaron and Miriam's complaint, God punishes Miriam for it. God clearly and firmly says no to racism - both theirs, and ours.
In the book of Acts, Phillip is led by God to offer the Gospel to an Ethiopian eunuch and to baptize the man when he asks. This is a significant event, a radical expansion of the community's understanding of who was acceptable to God. The Ethiopian man - regardless of his nationality, his race, his status as a sexual minority - is every bit a bearer of God's image, very much a part of the body of Christ.
The witness of scripture is more than simply non-racist, however. The witness of scripture is that as long as racism exists we are all poisoned by it. The witness of scripture is that racism is sin. The witness of scripture is that God breaks down walls of racism by sending us, as disciples of Jesus, to overcome racist systems. The witness of scripture is that God is an anti-racist.
It is not sufficient for us to reject racism. As disciples of Jesus we must actively eliminate it. We must, and with God's help we can.
Peace for the journey,
Pastor Steve
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