One Blood

A cursory familiarity with United States history reveals the nation has experienced consistent and bitter ethnic conflict since its inception in 1776. In reality, the problems began well before the dawn of the late eighteenth century. Early in the Colonial Era, bloody skirmishes erupted as a result of increasing numbers of European settlers encroaching on Native American land. One example of the enmity that developed was the war Pocahontas’s uncle Opechancanough waged against the Jamestown colony in 1622, and once again in 1644. [1] Native American resistance to Anglo colonization periodically took the form of warfare until the late nineteenth century. [2] Although these military engagements no longer are a factor, discord remains. Numerous Native Americans resent their loss of culture and way of life, and the squalid conditions on most Reservations does not help the matter. Another source of frustration is the typical conception of Native Americans that resulted from faulty info...

In Acts 17:16-21, Paul articulated the fundamentals of Christianity to an intrigued crowd in the city of Athens. The resulting discourse, commonly called “the Sermon on Mars Hill,” contextualized the Christian message for people who hailed from pagan backgrounds. One of the points Paul developed was the common ancestry of mankind: “And from one [1] He made all of the nations of mankind to inhabit the entire face of the earth” (Acts 17:26a). [2] The statement also has ramifications for the manner in which Christians should understand the subject of race. Paul defied the reigning Athenian opinion concerning the origin of mankind, denying that different civilizations were the products of distinct acts of creation. Rather, all people groups ( πᾶν ἔθνος ἀνθρώπων ) stemmed from one source. The apostle’s usage of the word one in this verse refers not to God in His role as Creator, but rather to His creation of Adam, the first man. [3] Paul’s sermon appealed to the book of Genesis as we...

            In this post, I’d like to take you through a day in the life of a multiethnic couple, using my own marriage as an example. The reason why I thought this would be a good topic to explore is because couples who derive from differing ethnic groups view the topic of race from a unique perspective. When we see that different groups can’t get along, it’s frustrating to us for several reasons: 1) God intends us to live in harmony; 2) Our marriages demonstrate that harmony can be attained (yet this often is not a reality in large segments of society); and 3) People rarely use us as a resource for considering how we can achieve ethnic harmony. After all, don’t ethnically diverse people who have lived under the same roof for years have something to say about what practical reconciliation looks like? I’m serious—use us as a resource because we know what we’re talking about. Below is a brief list of a few of the good, bad, and ugly situations we’ve...