How can I overcome and heal the hurt I have experienced from racism?
Psalm 4:2How long will you people ruin my reputation? How long will you make groundless accusations? How long will you continue your lies?
Psalm 6:7My vision is blurred by grief; my eyes are worn out because of all my enemies.
Psalm 35:15-17I am attacked by people I don’t even know; they slander me constantly. They mock me and call me names; they snarl at me. How long, O Lord, will you look on and do nothing? Rescue me from their fierce attacks.
Lamentations 3:49-50My tears flow endlessly; they will not stop until the Lord looks down from heaven and sees.
Many heroes in the Bible experienced injustice and cruelty from their enemies. In response, they grieved. They cried out. They expressed their pain to God and called for him to act. This practice is called lament. The first step to overcoming the hurt we experience from racism is acknowledging our hurt honestly before God.
Proverbs 6:16-19There are six things the Lord hates—no, seven things he detests: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that kill the innocent, a heart that plots evil, feet that race to do wrong, a false witness who pours out lies, a person who sows discord in a family.
Isaiah 1:17“Learn to do good. Seek justice. Help the oppressed. Defend the cause of orphans. Fight for the rights of widows.”
Acts 3:14You rejected this holy, righteous one and instead demanded the release of a murderer.
God hates injustice. When we are grieving and angry over the injustices of racism, he is too. Jesus himself experienced a corrupt trial and an unjust death. Know that God doesn’t just see your hurt—he feels it, too.
Deuteronomy 24:17-18“True justice must be given to foreigners living among you and to orphans, and you must never accept a widow’s garment as security for her debt. Always remember that you were slaves in Egypt and that the Lord your God redeemed you from your slavery. That is why I have given you this command.”
Deuteronomy 32:7“Remember the days of long ago; think about the generations past. Ask your father, and he will inform you. Inquire of your elders, and they will tell you.”
Scripture doesn’t only record the parting of the Red Sea. It also records the years of bondage in Egypt. It’s wise to remember and learn from history, even the painful parts. When the Israelites became their own nation, their suffering in Egypt was to become a source of empathy toward others—a reminder to provide others with the justice their ancestors were denied. It also became a reminder of God’s power and deliverance. Racial history may be painful, and that pain should never be swept aside or forgotten—it should be faced honestly and processed. This is how we learn and grow.
Matthew 5:4-10“God blesses those who mourn, for they will be comforted. . . . God blesses those who hunger and thirst for justice, for they will be satisfied. . . . God blesses those who are persecuted for doing right, for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs.”
Romans 8:38I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love.
Racism takes things away from you—but racism can’t take away your position with God through Christ. Remember that the One who matters most loves you. He died for you, and he has given you something no one can take away.
Isaiah 1:17“Learn to do good. Seek justice. Help the oppressed. Defend the cause of orphans. Fight for the rights of widows.”
Romans 12:19Dear friends, never take revenge. Leave that to the righteous anger of God. For the Scriptures say, “I will take revenge; I will pay them back,” says the Lord.
Luke 18:7-8“Will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?”
There is a difference between pursuing justice and pursuing revenge. Justice is change for the better. Revenge inflicts pain to get even. God calls us to pursue justice, not revenge, and he promises that he is the final Judge. There are some injustices that humans ignore or even perpetuate. Despite our efforts, change is often slow or incomplete. In such instances, pray—not as an alternative to action, but as a guidance for your action. Ask God for wisdom in how to respond to injustice, and trust that he is acting against injustice too.
Matthew 5:44-48“Pray for those who persecute you! In that way, you will be acting as true children of your Father in heaven. . . . If you love only those who love you, what reward is there for that? Even corrupt tax collectors do that much. . . . But you are to be perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect.”
Acts 7:59-60As they stoned him, Stephen prayed, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” He fell to his knees, shouting, “Lord, don’t charge them with this sin!” And with that, he died.
In directing his followers, Jesus didn’t stop by calling us to avoid revenge. He called us to love our enemies! Stephen, the first martyr, prayed for his enemies, even as they were killing him. Such love is incredibly difficult—but incredibly powerful. It plants a seed that can break through the hardest soil.
Acts 8:1Saul [also known as Paul] was one of the witnesses, and he agreed completely with the killing of Stephen.
Acts 9:1-2Saul [Paul] was uttering threats with every breath and was eager to kill the Lord’s followers. . . . He wanted to bring them—both men and women—back to Jerusalem in chains.
1 Timothy 1:15-16This is a trustworthy saying, and everyone should accept it: “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners”—and I am the worst of them all. But God had mercy on me so that Christ Jesus could use me as a prime example of his great patience with even the worst sinners. Then others will realize that they, too, can believe in him and receive eternal life.
Saul, more commonly known as the apostle Paul, led the charge in murdering and imprisoning the followers of Jesus. Yet God changed him and used him in incredible ways. No matter how badly we have been hurt, we cannot put certain sins—and certain sinners—outside the reach of God’s grace.
Matthew 5:43-45“You have heard the law that says, ‘Love your neighbor’ and hate your enemy. But I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you! In that way, you will be acting as true children of your Father in heaven.”
Matthew 6:14-15“If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you. But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins.”
Romans 5:8God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.
People in our world view forgiveness as something that belongs to us—to give or withhold as we choose. Hating our enemies is considered good and natural. But Jesus flipped that on its head. He forgave us when we had done nothing to deserve his grace, and he did this at great cost to himself. He calls us to do the same for those who have hurt us. When you forgive a racist, you are not saying that racism is excusable, that your hurt is not real, or that you are willing to put yourself in a position to be harmed. Ultimately, forgiveness is about a change in your heart. It is choosing to pray for their repentance rather than for their downfall. In this way, we imitate the love our heavenly Father shows to us.
Acts 7:59-60As they stoned him, Stephen prayed, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” He fell to his knees, shouting, “Lord, don’t charge them with this sin!” And with that, he died.
Stephen was brutally murdered. Yet Stephen forgave his murderers even while they showed no sign of repentance. Don’t wait for the world to admit it is wrong before you start the process of forgiveness. Don’t wait for people to say they are sorry—that may never happen. You already know racism is wrong. God knows, and God sees the wrongs that are done to us.
Proverbs 13:20Walk with the wise and become wise; associate with fools and get in trouble.
John 13:15“I have given you an example to follow. Do as I have done to you.”
1 Corinthians 11:1You should imitate me [Paul], just as I imitate Christ.
Racism is complex, traumatic, and difficult. Surround yourself with people who are working hard to live well in all aspects of their faith—people who have wrestled with their pain but have chosen forgiveness over bitterness; people who are bold in standing up for justice without falling into hatred. Learn from them how they imitate Jesus, and strive to imitate Jesus too.
Ephesians 4:31-32Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior. Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.
Philippians 1:6I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.
2 Peter 3:9The Lord isn’t really being slow about his promise, as some people think. No, he is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent.
Sometimes, it feels like peace and reconciliation are impossible. Our bitterness is too deep to allow us to forgive, and the hatred shown by others is too deep for them to unlearn. Take comfort that God is not finished with you—and he is not finished with them, either.
