And why it’s hard to imagine

Brenton Stacey
Public relations officer
Avondale College of Higher Education

Anders Breivik is a racist. The confessed killer who gunned down 77 people—mostly teenagers—in Norway told a court last week he sees himself as a militant nationalist heroically fighting to defend “ethnic Norwegians” from a “Muslim invasion.” Breivik insists he is a “caring person” who spent years meditating to “de-emotionalise” himself.

Hate based on race is hard to imagine, but you see examples of it in the Bible. Jesus couldn’t get a room in a Samaritan village because of His Jewish heritage. The woman at the well was surprised Jesus asked her for a drink. And Peter made a “highly irregular” visit to a Gentile friend. “Jews just don’t do this,” he says (Acts 10:28, The Message).

Hate based on race is hard to imagine because race has no biological basis. Yes, biology sharpens racism, but there are no human racial categories, only a variety of humans. If racism has nothing to do with biology, and everything to do with socially structured beliefs and behaviours, then it can also be socially unlearned and unstructured.

Hate based on race is hard to imagine because Jesus challenges us to not just love those who love us, but to love those who hate us. Notice, too, how God treats you. “Love one another the way I loved you. This is the very best way to love” (John 15:2-3, The Message). Follow His example.

A Malaysian-born minister of a church in Melbourne once said we should draw people to Jesus through positive examples of how to relate to other people. “You need to treat another person as God’s creation. This understanding will bridge many gaps. Understanding brings respect.”

He’s been reading his Bible. “Christ brought us together through his death on the Cross” (Ephesians 2:16, The Message). He died for everyone—Asian, Caucasian; Islamic, Christian. “Through him we both share the same Spirit and have equal access to the Father” (Ephesians 2:18, The Message). That’s plain enough, isn’t it?