The Race-Wise FamilyExemplo

Seeing Color

Even in our increasingly multiethnic society, those from the majority culture—in the US, this generally means those who are white—often assume people of color want just to be absorbed into that culture. When it comes to conver­sations with fellow Christians, we have heard statements such as “I don’t see color; I just see you” or “Our cultural identities don’t matter. Let’s just be brothers and sisters in Christ. We’re supposed to be one united body, right?”

However, the posture of seeing color is a hallmark of a race-wise family. This posture reflects our understanding that we follow a God who has created people with distinct ethnic and cultural identities. Our kids should know they are “fearfully and wonderfully made” (Psalm 139), from their skin and hair color to their ethnic roots. Who they are culturally should be a point of pride, not shame.

If we can’t see and celebrate the colors and cul­tures of the people God has created, then how can we adequately address issues re­lated to race in our families and communities? Blindness of any kind keeps us from properly seeing God, our­selves, other people, and the world around us. Ethnic blindness can lead to misunderstandings and tensions at best and hatred, violence, and genocide at worst.

We were created to live in the fullness of our identity in Christ, including who we are as cultural image-bearers. The more we celebrate our cultural identities, the more we will be able to rejoice in the identities of others. In fact, the more we recognize and honor ethnic differences, including our God-given heritage, the more we will be able to truly love the people around us and build the foundation for racial harmony within the body of Christ and beyond.

God of Color and Beauty, guide our family to become more ethnically and culturally aware. May we see what you see so we can become attuned to our cultural distinctiveness and the cultural distinctiveness of others. May our children believe and see that you created a colorful world on purpose. May we discover how unsatisfying it is to paint ourselves and others into a monolithic, colorless form. Help us live into our embodied experiences as cultural beings to appreciate and give thanks for all the colorful shades of humanity you created. Amen.