Sure, sometimes he forgets to feed the dog. He’s not generally thrilled when mom and dad crack the whip over homework, but overall, he’s a pretty decent example of a good old-fashioned American kid. One thing, however, makes him standout in his small Midwest community. He’s not white.

Alan came from Latin America to join his blond-haired, blue-eyed family when he was six months old. Skin color difference was never really an issue. He needed a home. The family had a lot of love they needed to give. For 14 years he’s gone to school, gone to church, made lots of friends and brought a lot of smiles.

A chance encounter in a store changed Alan’s easygoing life. A 40+ year-old man hauled Alan out to the store’s parking lot a few weeks ago, where he proceeded to intimidate and threaten a boy he barely knew. It turns out the man’s stepdaughter and Alan have become friends. The daughter said that when her stepfather found out about the relationship, he went ballistic. His objection was not based on Alan’s behavior or attitude, but primarily on the color of his skin.

I’m white. I was born white and (except for occasional shades of sunburned pink) that won’t change. I live in 21st century America where everyone is created equal and we all treat each other with decency and respect … or so I dream. The truth is, I’ve never experienced or seen racism in person. I have friends and relatives of different skin tones and ethnic backgrounds. Biology 101 convinced me there is no such thing as "race." There is, however, a God-given variety of cultures and characteristics. So when I found out that my 14-year old friend was being treated so callously, and a full-grown adult was filled with such hostility towards him, I had a hard time comprehending.

It has been my experience that most college students don’t tend to be overtly racist. In fact, at the college I attended, many of us prided ourselves on our lack of prejudice. Yet, that pride often causes us to stop examining our motives and behaviors and may lead to the very thing we claim to avoid. A class I took, entitled "Race, Ethnicity and Gender," opened my eyes to a fact I had not considered. It is not merely sins of "commission" we must be wary of (doing something we shouldn’t), but sins of "omission" (failing to do something we should).

When dealing with racist sins of commission, (such as the man harassing Alan), I can’t help but think of the traditional playground bully. Is there an inherent need for people to feel better about themselves by putting others down? Is overt racist behavior based simply on fear of the unknown? Fear of change? Or is there something deeper?

John Stott, a widely recognized scholar and author of such books as Basic Christianity, says that racism is built on two very shaky pillars: personal prejudice and pseudo-scientific myth. In Decisive Issues Facing Christians Today Stott says, "Personal prejudice is not based on any particular theory, but is a psychological reaction to people of other ethnic groups arising usually from resentment, fear or pride."

World War II Germany gives us one extreme example of the pseudo-scientific myth. Hitler used an evolutionary basis for his white supremacist doctrines. The Hitler Movement explains how he subscribed to the claim that humanity was descended from two very different groups, the Aryan Heroes and the Animal People (Apes). Hitler justified the annihilation of Blacks, Jews, Orientals, etc. because as "descendents" of the Animal People he claimed they were not truly human. While Hitler privately conceded there was no scientific basis for this argument, he needed it to legitimize his behavior and garner societal support.

Stott says the modern day racist may acknowledge the humanity of non-whites, but still cling to his belief in their inherent inferiority. To destroy this illusion, physical anthropologist Dr. Ashley Montagu wrote Man’s Most Dangerous Myth: The Fallacy of Race. According to Stott:

Of course he [Dr. Montagu] agrees…that humankind may be divided into four "major groups" (Caucasoid, Mongoloid, Negroid and Australoid) and into many smaller "ethnic groups" (by nationality, language, culture, etc.). But he insists that these groups are arbitrary, overlapping and fluid; that they merely describe populations whose distinctions are due partly to cultural development (as a result of geographical separation) and partly to "temporary mixtures of genetic materials common to all mankind"; and that the differences are definitely not due to "inborn physical and mental traits" which are ineradicable. Indeed, the concept of "race" is a superstition, "the witchcraft of our time," and a stratagem invented to justify discrimination.

The slave trade, Nazism, apartheid in South Africa and segregation in the United States all found their basis in the faulty premise of one group’s inferiority, or the need to separate people from each other "for their own good."

In Decisive Issues Facing Christians Today, Stott argues that Acts 17:22-31 is a clear example of God’s desire for a multi-ethnic, multi-cultural, unified humanity. "In general terms God is the Father of all humankind, since all are His ‘offspring’ by creation, and every human being is our brother or sister. Being equally created by Him and like Him, we are equal in His sight in worth and dignity, and therefore have an equal right to respect and justice."

The book of Acts, chapter 17 says, "God made the earth and is Lord of all creation … From one man, He made every nation. ..." This scriptural reference to our descent from one man (i.e. Adam) is not contested even by agnostic scientists, who freely admit the evidence for humanity’s common ancestor. Dr. Montagu states, "All varieties of man belong to the same species and have the same remote ancestry. This is a conclusion to which all the relevant evidence of comparative anatomy, paleontology, serology and genetics points."

Other references scattered throughout scripture confirm God’s value of all peoples and desire for integration and harmony. "There is neither Jew nor Greek … for you are all one …" (Galatians 3:28). "I looked and saw … [members] from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne [of God]" (Revelation 7:9).

Forget the "separate but equal" stuff. God intends us to learn from one another, to let the best qualities of peoples and cultures rub off on each other. It is idolatry to put one "race" or culture above all others. No matter what an ethnic group or society has accomplished, it cannot truthfully claim to have the corner on all knowledge and wisdom. The Lausanne Covenant eloquently puts it, "Because man is God’s creature, some of his culture is rich in beauty and goodness. Because he is fallen, all of it is tainted with sin. ..."

Ask yourself these questions: Have I ever ignored someone different from me? Have I ever held a substantive conversation with a student of different ethnic background than my own? Have I ever thought to myself, "The only reason he’s on campus is because he plays football …"? When selecting a seat in a crowded classroom, do you choose the seat on the other side of the room next to someone of your skin tone or the one right in front of you beside someone of another color? Things to consider …

It's time for us to acknowledge our imperfections, as individuals and as ethnic groups … to set aside our pride and with humility get to know people of differently colored skin, ethnicity and background. Those of us who don't experience racism can model acceptance and belief in equality of all peoples. We can stand up for those who are suffering under the unjust prejudices of blind and deceived individuals. But we must guard our own actions and thoughts, lest we become as hate-filled as those we oppose.

I must say I am amazed at Alan’s response to this whole issue. The stepfather has started coming to church with the express purpose of making sure Alan has nothing to do with his daughter. Alan’s gracious response has been, "Well, if this is what it takes to get him to come to church, it’s worth it."

Alan’s attitude, which could be one of anger and resentment, has exemplified the very qualities of compassion, forgiveness and patience set by the greatest reconciler of all time, Jesus Christ. Somehow, in 14 short years Alan has learned what many people never learn in a lifetime: Bitterness and anger will not conquer or transform hatred. Only forgiveness and love can do that.