Race and social injustices seem to have been ramping up in recent years but history tells us it has always been here. How should we as Jesus followers view race and these instances where people are mistreated for one reason or another. How does Jesus view these things? 

Well for starters, in Jesus’s day there was a heated separation between Jews and Gentiles, and even between Jews and Samaritans, the Jews’ enemy. Jesus cares not about these social barriers as he talks to a Samaritan woman (John 4) which breaks the ethnic and gender barriers at once. The apostles also came to the realization that it does not matter who you are, we are all one in Christ Jesus. Galatians 3:28 says, “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” This is what Paul says in Galatians 3:28. Romans 2:11 says, “God shows no partiality.” So we know that God does not hold one race above another and even James says, “But if you show partiality, you are committing sin”. James comes right out and says racism is sin, no questions asked. 

The Bible is very clear on racism but what about social injustices? How should we view women’s rights or rich people getting richer or anything we would consider an injustice? 

In the prophet Isaiah, God tells the people to, “Learn to do good; seek justice, correct oppression; bring justice to the fatherless, plead the widow’s cause.” (Isaiah 1:17). God tells us to seek justice and to not allow oppression to happen. We should be defenders of the orphans and widows, helping those in need. What God does not say is that we should take vengeance or get revenge on those who do injustices. This is not what God intends for His followers. Justice is not revenge, justice is making sure our relationships are right with each other not getting back at one who did wrong. 

Social injustices will happen because we live outside of the garden of Eden. However, we should always do the right thing no matter the circumstance. We should show kindness and love to all people no matter the race or social status (1 John 4:11).