Over the past 16 years many brethren have expressed concerns regarding the absence of black brethren in UCG congregations in the United States. The presence of black families is indeed less noticeable today; however, many remain present and faithful albeit scattered throughout the U.S. congregations.

While it is every individual's responsibility to continue to live God's way of life without compromising one's beliefs, we still wonder why so few blacks continued their calling with the United Church of God. There may be multiple answers to that question and to understand we must address a touchy subject—the subject of racism.

Racism in the World

Our collective human history shows examples of men committing inhumane acts toward other men out of a spirit of hatred. For example, centuries of hatred between Jews and gentiles ultimately led to the horrors inflicted by Hitler and the Nazis. The spirit of hatred has also caused ethnic wars even within various tribal groups.

Racism is a learned behavior that resides deep within the heart of man. It is demonic in every way, and it has the power to destroy a people. It is not found exclusively within the heart of one race; it is found within the hearts of people of all races.

Although we have made great progress in building better relationships between the races in the United States, the struggle continues for many black, Hispanic and Asian families to gain respect and acceptance. History has shown that many people of color have proven their ability to be great inventors, builders, scientists, scholars and educators. Many are highly educated, family-oriented, God-fearing, trustworthy and hard working. Yet negative stereotypes still undermine all the good that many have done.

The purpose of this article is not to condemn anyone, but to remind all of us of how easily this evil way of thinking and living can infiltrate our thoughts and actions. Racism is an evil attitude, a special form of hatred, and it drives man to commit unthinkable and evil acts. The evil residue of this hatred can lie hidden within the heart.

Racism in God's Church

For many black families, the Church of God was to be the one place where racism did not exist. Regrettably, though, some did experience acts of racism, and for this reason many have become offended and have left our fellowship.

I remember my very first Sabbath when I was a teenager. My mother and I were excited to be attending God's Church for the very first time with other believers. We received a very warm welcome at the door by a black deacon and deaconess. However, when we entered the main corridor a man walking in my path came up to me and said, "We don't play your kind of music here."

Naturally, I was slightly offended because this man made an assumption about me based on my skin color, but I recovered quickly. My mother had instructed me not to be easily offended by negative or racist comments made by anyone.

But this comment would be just the first of many offenses I would encounter personally in God's Church over the years. Just as God expects those of us who have been offended to learn to forgive, He expects those who have caused offense, even unintentionally, to accept responsibility and change. As God's people, we must be aware that racism is a sin, and not permit its continued existence, especially in the Church of God.

African-American writer James Baldwin stated, "I think that the past is all that makes the present coherent, and further, that the past will remain horrible for exactly as long as we refuse to assess it honestly."

This learned behavior from Satan's world followed some of us into God's Church! Let's understand, when God called us out of this world, He did not remove the learned behaviors of this world from our hearts. We all must recognize sin, repent of it and ask God for help and to give us a new heart.

I have been asked, "Why are you still with that Church?" I am here because this is where God placed me 39 years ago. Jesus Christ said, "My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me" (John 10:27). I made the decision to follow God despite any circumstances that might have offended me.

Purging Hate From the Heart

But how do we as God's people purge racism from our hearts and not offend our brethren? As mentioned earlier, racism is found within the hearts of people of all races, and we all must evaluate our own attitudes and actions.

First, we must ask God to show us our heart. The prophet Jeremiah wrote, "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it? I, the Lord, search the heart, I test the mind, even to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his doings" (Jeremiah 17:9-10). God examines the heart, not the outside appearance of a man, and we must learn to do the same.

When a person speaks evil or shows hatred, prejudice or condescension toward another, these words and actions come from the heart. Jesus Christ tells us; "For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. A good man out of the good treasure of the heart brings forth good things; and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things" (Matthew 12:34-35).

The Process Begins With Us

As God's people, this change of heart begins with us now. We must repent of all learned behaviors that violate the commandments of God and seek forgiveness.

If we are baptized into the body of Jesus Christ and have put on Christ, then we are "neither Jew nor Greek...slave nor free...male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus" (Galatians 3:27-28). We share the same goal—becoming Abraham's seed and heirs together according to the promise.

We must now forgive one another for offenses, even as Christ forgave us. If we do not, we lose the opportunity to forgive, be forgiven and help show this act of love to all mankind in the Kingdom of God. The apostle Paul gives us a very strong warning that those who do the works of the flesh will not inherit that Kingdom (Galatians 5:16-21)!

Do we look forward to showing mankind the way to peace and how to love one another as Jesus Christ loved us? We must ask God to purge out from our hearts learned hatred, prejudice and disdain toward others so that we can teach others His way of life.

We have a calling from God, and we serve a very special purpose in accordance with His plan. God has placed each of us in the Body where it pleases Him, and we are not one member in this Body but many (1 Corinthians 12:14, 18).

Our lives as God's people should never reflect the evil ways of this world. However, they should reflect this life we have in the Body of Jesus Christ. We should have the same care for one another in God's Church: "If one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; or if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it.

"Now you are the body of Christ, and members individually" (1 Corinthians 12:26-27). If racism is a learned behavior that is found within our hearts, it can be purged out with the help of God's Holy Spirit. But we must ask God for help.

Becoming the Solution

Johnnetta Cole Ph.D., in her book Dream the Boldest Dream, wrote, "We're going to have to live with our differences or share the same fate of destructiveness." We do not have to share the world's fate of destructiveness because God has given us the solution to racism. Together, with the help of God's Holy Spirit, we can become the solution and not the problem.

Many black families in the United States chose to remain faithful to God, trusting and believing that together we within the United Church of God will overcome our differences. We will continue to learn from one another and grow in the faith God has given each of us.

If we have caused personal offenses, let's go to our brother and seek forgiveness. And let the offended be ready to forgive. If we do not forgive our brother, God will not forgive our sins (Matthew 6:15). Let's repent and be reconciled back to God first, then to each other. For us to become one family—the family of God—we must seek God and do His will in order to rule with Jesus Christ in the soon-coming Kingdom of God.

So, where is my family? My family is right here beside me within God's Church. We are the family of God of every race and ethnicity bound together by the common thread of God's Holy Spirit. UN