How can I be a friend to people who have been hurt by racism?

Proverbs 11:2Pride leads to disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom.

Proverbs 12:1It is stupid to hate correction.

James 1:19Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters: You must all be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry.

When someone has been hurt by racism, it’s important to listen to them. That might be uncomfortable. You might feel defensive. However, be careful not to invalidate their perspective or feelings. Listen. Learn. Let what they are saying sink in. Their decision to trust you with a difficult experience should not be treated lightly. You will never truly understand what it is like to have their exact experience, but if you listen, you can learn how to empathize and love them better.

Luke 7:3-5When the [Roman] officer heard about Jesus, he sent some respected Jewish elders to ask him to come and heal his slave. So they earnestly begged Jesus to help the man. “If anyone deserves your help, he does,” they said, “for he loves the Jewish people and even built a synagogue for us.”

John 4:9The [Samaritan] woman was surprised, for Jews refuse to have anything to do with Samaritans. She said to Jesus, “You are a Jew, and I am a Samaritan woman. Why are you asking me for a drink?”

The Jewish people considered Samaritans half-breeds and heretics. They also hated their Roman oppressors. Yet both the woman at the well and the Roman centurion were treated by Jesus as individuals rather than as faceless representatives of their race. When we interact with people of another race, it is critical to value who they are as individuals and not treat them as our “black friend” or “Asian friend” or “white friend.”

Leviticus 19:15“Do not twist justice in legal matters by favoring the poor or being partial to the rich and powerful. Always judge people fairly.”

Deuteronomy 10:17-19“For the Lord your God is the God of gods and Lord of lords. He is the great God, the mighty and awesome God, who shows no partiality and cannot be bribed. . . . He shows love to the foreigners living among you and gives them food and clothing. So you, too, must show love to foreigners, for you yourselves were once foreigners in the land of Egypt.”

Isaiah 1:7Learn to do good. Seek justice. Help the oppressed.

Zechariah 7:9-10“This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: Judge fairly, and show mercy and kindness to one another. Do not oppress widows, orphans, foreigners, and the poor.”

It is not enough to be innocent of racism ourselves. Wherever there is injustice and oppression, including on the basis of race, believers have a responsibility to engage and respond. Racism involves more than just individual actions. Laws, court systems, and social structures can favor one race over another, and it takes intentional effort to change ingrained and systemic injustices. True love for others requires our action.