What Color Is God?

I know how racism can be ended! I realize not everyone is going to believe me; and that's all right with me. You don't have to believe me for it to be true—you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free (John 8:32).

I'll get to the answer in a moment … for now, though, I want to briefly address the truth about racism that many people ignore—IT IS TAUGHT AND LEARNED.

I've watched babies and toddlers of all kinds of races and backgrounds interact, and they don't act racist because they're not! They just see someone else with whom to engage and play with. So at some point racism is TAUGHT and LEARNED.

Unity across races can be achieved when we perceive that we're all the same. From the Bible's perspective we are united in that we have ALL been created in the image of God (Genesis 1:26). We're also the same as we age because "ALL have sinned" coming short of God's glory (Romans 3:23). Therefore, each one of us needs help—"For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly" (Romans 5:6 NASB).

Take my white skin off and you'll see bones, muscle, and blood. How stupid many of us are to judge someone because their skin is different! Talk about judging a book by its cover! Jesus taught, "Do not judge by appearances, but judge with right judgment" (John 7:24).

And by the way, when Paul wrote those words, he was addressing a group of people divided over race too—Jews and Gentiles (Romans 1:16-17; 2:10). There's actually an interesting passage in John 4:9 that tells us "Jews have no dealings with Samaritans"—which was shocking because in that specific context Jesus is talking to a Samaritan woman by the well. The word "dealings" is from the Greek word sugchraomai which means to use together. The point was that Jews didn't drink from the same well as Samaritans, and yet here was Jesus asking for water from a well from which Samaritans drank.

We can learn a lot from Jesus. And we should! Actually, Jesus is the answer to racism.

Years ago I was in Atlanta on the Metro heading to the airport. A group of young men boarded wearing t-shirts declaring that Jesus Was A Black Man. I laughed, of course, and they growled at me. I told them the truth—Jesus was not black, and He was not white either. He was a Jew. Nothing much else was said.

Racism is probably not going to disappear—certainly not by legislation—because people are teaching and learning it. Racism is sin! And each one of us must decide what we are going to do to contribute to racism's demise.

Robin Williams! Why?

I can't imagine being Robin Williams moments before he acted upon his broken choice to kill himself. The moments leading up to his irreversible action were calculated — i.e., he had to consider how he would do this, gathering whatever was necessary to his fulfilling his desire to end his life, and he had to consider when he would do this. Just today it was revealed that he had recently been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease. If this is true, then it wouldn't be too much of a stretch to see how this recent diagnosis might have adversely affected him.

There was something wrong with Robin Williams. I don't believe anyone in their right mind dwells on suicide, and then comes to a healthy decision to actually commit suicide. And, yes, there is an extreme selfishness in suicide as one is consumed with self to the degree that they seek to kill self!

"One who isolates himself pursues selfish desires; he rebels against all sound judgment" (Proverbs 18:1 HCSB) Rarely, if ever, have I made the best life decisions when I isolated myself from everyone else (literally or figuratively).

I believe many people at one time in their lives or another come to a point where they briefly think about not existing anymore, but to dwell on the logistics of how and when to murder oneself is not normal and it's certainly not healthy (literally). Suicide is overwhelmingly sad and horrible.

I can imagine being Robin Williams's family as they try to figure out why, because I have literally been there wondering why when a loved one has made this awfully permanent choice. To this day, I wonder why. And, to this day, the wondering is not easy.

One thing that has blown me away about Robin Williams's suicide is how people have reacted and overreacted. I literally tire of reading Facebook debates that are so stupid. Or worse, Twitter debates which are limited to a series of asinine hash tags. Rather than read someone's thoughts about it, we would rather overreact with our own brand of vitriol — and since it's our brand, we defend it vociferously while anyone who tries to thoughtfully reply is just an idiot because they don't see it "my way."

As a preacher I am sometimes asked about suicide. I never like talking about it … ever.

The Bible does not address the topic.

Let that sink in, please. … The Bible does not address the topic of suicide … ever.

However, there are three (technically, four) examples that come to my mind — Samson, King Saul, King Saul's armor-bearer, and Judas Iscariot.

1. Then Samson called to the LORD and said, "O Lord GOD, please remember me and please strengthen me only this once, O God, that I may be avenged on the Philistines for my two eyes." And Samson grasped the two middle pillars on which the house rested, and he leaned his weight against them, his right hand on the one and his left hand on the other. And Samson said, "Let me die with the Philistines." Then he bowed with all his strength, and the house fell upon the lords and upon all the people who were in it. So the dead whom he killed at his death were more than those whom he had killed during his life. (Judges 16:28-30 ESV)
2. The battle pressed hard against Saul, and the archers found him, and he was wounded by the archers. Then Saul said to his armor-bearer, "Draw your sword and thrust me through with it, lest these uncircumcised come and mistreat me." But his armor-bearer would not, for he feared greatly. Therefore Saul took his own sword and fell upon it. And when his armor-bearer saw that Saul was dead, he also fell upon his sword and died. (1 Chronicles 10:3-5 ESV)
3. Then when Judas, his betrayer, saw that Jesus was condemned, he changed his mind and brought back the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and the elders, saying, "I have sinned by betraying innocent blood." They said, "What is that to us? See to it yourself." And throwing down the pieces of silver into the temple, he departed, and he went and hanged himself. (Matthew 27:3-5 ESV)

There are no clearly drawn moral lessons from these isolated examples. Samson is listed in Hebrews 11 as an example of the kind of faith God is seeking in His followers. But nothing is said about how Samson died, just how he lived. And with both King Saul and Judas Iscariot there is an infamy attached to their deaths because of how they lived.

Which leads me to this — reading Facebook and Twitter "disgustions" about Robin Williams' eternal state (i.e., that he is now in hell) because of his suicide — saddens, horrifies, and angers me immensely. I don't know that I can say such things with a Bible in my hand and in my heart. 

It may be Robin Williams will be punished (his eternal fate is sealed now), but I don't believe he will be because of suicide. 

The biblical reality is that we will all die and we will all be fairly and righteously judged (Hebrews 9:27-28). It matters how we live!