Following on from Monday’s reflections on Martin Luther King Day and yesterday’s post on continuing inter-ethnic fighting in Kenya, it seems appropriate to ask what part racism will play in the future. Will the world be a more tolerant place, or will racism become more prominent and intractable? As the Internet is making us more global, are we becoming more welcoming of diversity or are we fracturing into prejudiced enclaves?
At the surface level, progress has been made in eliminating racism. Racial segregation is no longer looked on with favour in most countries. However, at a deeper level the separation still occurs. Churches in America and Australia still tend to be predominantly mono-ethnic. Even in my own church which is deliberately multicultural by virtue of holding services in different languages, there is still not enough effort made by most people to cross cultural boundaries and make inter-ethnic friendships. It’s easier to stick with people who look and act like me.
So what does the future hold? That depends on what people make of it. If heaven is going to be filled with people “from every nation, tribe, people, and language”, then perhaps we need to start practising now getting used to enjoying spending eternity with such diverse people. As Paul said, “There cannot be Jew or Greek, slave or free person, male or female, because you are all one in Christ Jesus.”