The spread of critical race theory has sparked a great debate across our country recently. It has caused school boards to be pitted against their teachers, companies to conduct re-training of their employees, and has caused a rift in our public discourse. While most have chosen a side in this debate, many have done so with only a vague understanding of what critical race theory entails. As a working definition, CRT involves the belief that race is a social construct that has been weaponized by dominant groups to oppress others. It teaches that because of this, racism is ingrained in our culture, affecting everything we do and how we think. As a result, CRT proponents are on a quest to root out what they believe to be implicit bias or systemic racism in our culture. But here is the underlying question for us to consider: Is race really the most critical thing that defines how we think and who we are? As there is nothing new under the sun, the Bible has much to say about race.

Let’s go back to the beginning. On the sixth day of creation, God “created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them” (Genesis 1:27). Note from this verse two things regarding how we were created as human beings. First, ALL of humanity is created in the image of God. This is a key understanding for why human life is sacred and murder is wrong. Second, the ONLY differentiation that God made in the human race is between male and female. He did not create multiple “races” of people. It is clear from scripture that we are all descended from the common ancestors of Adam and Eve.

For the most part, the human race all lived as one people and had one language until sometime after the great flood. Because of the pride of mankind in building the tower of Babel, God judged them, confounded their language, and “scattered them abroad from thence upon the face of all the earth” (Genesis 11:8). As each fragmented group of people went to live in various parts of the earth, certain traits of their gene pool were lost while others were emphasized. This gave rise to the various skin colors and physical traits that we associate with “race” today.

Our problem with race has occurred because of our natural but sinful tendency to treat people who don’t look and act like we do differently. As a result, we tend to magnify the traits that our race possesses while diminishing the traits of other races. But from early on in scripture we see that God wants ALL nations (races) to be blessed and promised Abraham that a Savior would be coming to redeem the HUMAN race. It is clear that God loves ALL the world and EVERY race. Jesus told his disciples to share the gospel to the “uttermost part of the earth” (Acts 1:8). The scripture tells us that God “gave his only begotten Son, that WHOSOEVER believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16). If God clearly loves all races, sent His Son to die for the sin of all races, wants all races to come to repentance, and has commanded us to be sure to tell ALL RACES about the free gift of salvation through Jesus Christ – then we as Christians have been given our own critical race theory from Him. Namely, that God sees all races as critical in His plan of redemption. He wants us all to know the love of Jesus Christ and accept Him as Savior, no matter our skin color or physical characteristics. Race isn’t the most critical factor in life. The most critical thing is to know you are born again and have been identified as His child. Only then will you be named in that great multitude “of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues” (Revelation 7:9) which shall praise God for the great grace and salvation He has chosen for you.