What does “race” have to do with Pain and Suffering? (helping hurting people requires us to oppose our ‘created’ boundaries, illusions and blockades)
We all must remove the “border lines” of “race” that was applied to humans, if we desire to heal a fractured world. If we want to function so others can live, we must cross pathways of fear, barriers of misunderstanding and the railroad tracks of control and separation. Jesus offered hope, through Obedience, Kindness and Genuine Care. It is NOW our turn.
In short, “it doesn’t have to be about to race to win, nor a race for people.” Is that a possibility or is it all a rhetorical escape? If it is to be real, the work will lie in confronting the systems and histories that made the “people” race matter in the first place. I learned quite a bit in this venture into the Region of “Macedonia.”
Some of this information is maddening, as it serves to cause a rift, because of the way man uses words to benefit their position and financial standing—BOTH are associated with power and authority.
This is where I share what I have learned from my findings, in an effort to learn why the color issue arose and the mess it has caused over the years.
When the ELOHIM of creation decided to “confuse the languages” at the tower of Babyl, did He have this chaos in mind? …or wanted to see how well we would desire and work to be “one,” even in the face of the eventual “regional” melanin changes over time.
…learning from history: The word "race" was not used to distinguish between human beings. The term originally referred to the lineage and quality of animals, specifically prized hunting dogs and horses.
…learning from history: The word emerged in European languages in the late 15th and early 16th centuries (from the Italian razza and French race). It was a tool for animal husbandry and elite breeding, denoting a "lineage" or "breed".
NOTE: The shift to applying the concept to humans “occurred in the 17th and 18th centuries during the era of European colonialism and the trans-Atlantic slave trade. As societies sought ways to justify the forced displacement of indigenous populations and the enslavement of African people, scientists and lawmakers developed racial taxonomies to establish a social and political hierarchy.”
NOTE: Naturalists like Carl Linnaeus in 1735 and Johann Friedrich Blumenbach in 1775 took terms originally applied to plant and animal varieties and created a system of human classification.
I found it interesting to see and learn of the very history of the concept of race. To dive deeper into the historical and etymological origins of the word “race”, you can conduct your own exploration in the following link: the Origin of the Idea of Race provided by the PBS Race: The Power of an Illusion project, or read the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy for a comprehensive look at the philosophical and social history of human categorization.
Maybe being “color blindness” could not be a good thing. Since the age of 5 or 6, I knew there was a difference in the skin of me, my mother and sisters. When you add in schoolteachers, the TG&Y stores and kids I slept next to on the mat at kindergarten and pre-school, I was not blind to that stuff. Who would be? …unless you are actually “blind?”
Maybe you chose to treat all the same, until your parents, or other relatives decided to help you grow dark in your intellect and treatment of lighter or darker shades.
The idea that “race doesn’t matter” or “I don’t see race at all” is often promoted as a way to avoid acknowledging racism. I have read that, “color blindness can make racism invisible.” The unfortunate thing is that the improper use and insertion of race (for people) only lives because we keep changing the story and adding in things that is an effort to give one the edge over another, for personal gain.
Can YOU see where that has gotten us?
When people stop seeing race as a factor, they may instead blame individuals for disparities, ignoring important structural barriers like unequal access to education, housing, and employment. This can fuel “racial” resentment and opposition to policies that would address inequality. Here is one of those areas of Macedonia that need to be identified, addressed and crossed. We have worked at it, but it only succeeds if people want to stop functioning in the manner of getting over on another or using them to get and remain ahead of the next person. …and in a socioeconomic struggle, this will be the rule and not an exception. The survival of the fittest, biggest, smartest and strongest is what it was. We have made it about people. GOD never made it that way. Noah’s sons, the confusing of languages and the Ten tribes of Israel not returning to the land has made this an interesting situation. Change was evident, after the fall of Adam (and Eve).
We are still following that pattern of acting like we know better than the One Who created mankind.
Will we ever choose to cross the tracks, or walk into a region to do more than soup kitchens and coat drives? Tent Revivals were temporal, because people would have to recognize that they were dead and needed the spirit to grant them a renewed life.
This is what we humans need. …a new way of seeing and loving people. However, we only want to see and do what we can control. Well, the Most High GOD wants to lead the effort of transformation, restoration and reunification, for the healing of the soul.
If He is to lead, man cannot use race as the impetus, and man can’t make the rules. Rather, he must follow and obey the Rules, Laws and Guidelines seen in the Scriptures of the Holy (Kadosh) Creator.
RACE from the dictionary:
a competition between runners, horses, vehicles, boats, etc., to see which is the fastest in covering a set course.
a strong or rapid current flowing through a narrow channel in the sea or a river.
…a question from history would be, “If the term race “originally” referred to plants and animals, how did it become connected to speed and out besting another’s efforts?
…learning from history: The connection between "race" as a group of people and "race" as a speed competition is actually an illusion. They are completely different words with entirely separate historical origins. They are "true homonyms," meaning they happened to evolve from different languages, until they were spelled and pronounced identically by historical “coincidence.”
…learning from history: The two words traveled down separate paths to enter the English language. …and we know how messy our language has become in the past 250 years. Oof!
Race (The Speed Competition) as part of the word with Germanic and Scandinavian roots.
Around the year 1300, English adopted the Old Norse word rás, which meant a "running," "rush," or "swift forward movement" (often referring to rushing water).
It was originally used to describe a powerful, moving current of water. We still see this original meaning today in the term "millrace"—the fast-moving channel of water that drives a mill wheel.
By the 1510s, English speakers shifted the word's meaning from the literal "rush of water" to a "competitive trial of speed" involving runners or horses.
Race (The Category of Living Things) as part of a word used for animal lineages and animal breeds, and eventually human categorization has romance language roots.
This version entered English much later, in the late 1500s, borrowed from the French word race and the Italian word razza. As noted, razza initially meant a "breed," "strain," or "lineage" used by French and Italian aristocrats to track the pedigree of their hunting dogs and thoroughbred horses.
(once again) By the 1700s, European naturalists adopted this specific word to start sorting human beings into pseudo-scientific categories.
Race as a categorizing term referring to human beings was first used in the English language in the late 16th century. Until the 18th century it had a generalized meaning similar to other classifying terms such as type, sort, or kind.
Occasional literature of Shakespeare’s time referred to a “race of saints” or “a race of bishops.” By the 18th century, race was widely used for sorting and ranking the peoples in the English colonies—Europeans who saw themselves as free people, indigenous Americans who had been conquered, and Africans who were being brought in as enslaved labor—and this usage continues today.
…learning from history: The concepts of speed, animals, language, and human race intersect deeply in human language and the Dehumanization Cycle. Being around (and traveling abroad) for many years and attending some different places of higher learning, I have seen and have come to understand howlanguage serves as the bridge that connects animal symbolism to racial discrimination. By using animalistic idioms (for centuries) to describe human behavior, societies lower the psychological barrier to treating groups unequally.
Animalization via Idiom: Idioms like treating them like cattle, wild beasts, or rats historically dehumanize targeted racial or ethnic groups. When language strips a group of human attributes, it systematically strips them of human rights.
The "Civilized" vs. "Primitive" Binary: Language usage often equates modern technology and high-speed development with "advanced" (often Caucasian) civilizations. Meanwhile, cultures deeply connected to nature or operating at different economic paces are linguistically relegated to an "animalistic" or "primitive" state.
Loving your “Macedonian” neighbor who is across the aisle, the ocean, the street, across the tracks, across the city, and across the room can change the world!
…learning from history: This is beyond systemic oppression (of all people), literature and folklore across the globe connect speed, animals, and human traits symbolically:
Animals symbolize raw nature, instinct, or a lack of human reason.
Language is the tool that weaponizes these symbols.
“Human”race becomes the target when these elements are combined maliciously to disrupt equality and enforce social division.
Who are "the least of these?" When restoring hope, it is important to remember that GOD is actively working alongside us to lift up the marginalized. …or, shall I say, “We are to be working for/with Him…”
(another) ACTUAL CASE was the German Nazi Party adopted and developed several racial hierarchical categorizations as an important part of its racist beliefs to justify the mistreatment of the “least of these” considered to be deemed “genetically” or “culturally” inferior.
Let us consider "the least of these" does refer to anyone who is vulnerable, marginalized, forgotten, or powerless in society. The phrase comes directly from Jesus’ Teaching in (Matthew 25:31-46). The shock of hearing what He said could likely be felt and tasted, because His listeners were understanding that whenever they helped someone in need, they were helping Yeshua. Likewise, whenever they ignored someone in need, they disregarded Him, the Law of His Father.
Today, just as in years ago, survival depended heavily on family, social conscience, and basic health. Without these, you have not a shared (invested) community safety net. Jesus specifically names six groups that qualify as "the least of these."
The hungry and thirsty ones who lack basic daily necessities for survival.
The immigrants, refugees (strangers), and outsiders who are culturally or socially isolated.
The naked are those lacking adequate clothing, shelter, or basic human dignity. There are MANY agencies and non-profits that are geared to support these nowadays.
The physically ill, disabled, or mentally suffering who are (sickly) and cannot care for themselves.
The “imprisoned” (in manifold ways) who are locked away, ostracized, or facing the consequences of their actions.
If we apply the definition Jesus supplied (for Judean Israel) to our world today, "the least of these" would still be the same people. …but I will ADD these (today) forgotten groupings of the “least of these.”
The routinely spiritually and emotionally misunderstood
Those struggling to find a Biblically safe place to grow, eat and rest.
The routinely spiritually and emotionally disregarded
Those individuals in nursing homes or are isolated at home without family support—much like the elderly and lonely.
The routinely spiritually and emotionally pushed to the edges of a Bible-based society.
Those people who are struggling with invisible battles. These same folks are often judged or feared rather than helped.
Our GOD is always at work! When has He ever stopped? We do not bring hope to a situation alone; we join ADONAI where He is already working.
Scripture makes it clear that the GOD of Mercy and Kindness have a "preferential option" for the hurting. The highly supportive and encouraging Book of Psalms (68:5) calls Him "a Father to the fatherless and a Defender of widows."
When we step out to support the misunderstood and disregarded, we are entering our ELOHIM’s primary field of Work. We aren't just doing a good deed; we are actively meeting GOD in the face of the person we are helping.
When people use the word today, they’re not just describing humans — they’re invoking an entire historical system, often unintentionally.
How does this fit in the intentionality of GOD’s design and purpose for man living and working together as their Creator intended? It creates boundaries where nature doesn’t.
In the Bible, righteousness is not simply a legal term for “being right” in a transactional sense, but a moral and spiritual condition of living in accordance with GOD’s Character andwill. The Hebrew word tsedeq (justice, rightness) and the Greek word dikaiosyne (righteousness) both point to justice, integrity, and ethical conduct.
In the first 39 Books of Scripture, we see how “righteousness” is linked to obedience to GOD’s Laws, justice, and care for the vulnerable (see example Isaiah 1:16–17). This Commands us to, “defend the fatherless and plead the case of the widow.” We can see that righteousness includes Biblically shared justice and compassion.
With the FULLNESS of the TANKAKH in place, Yeshua extended (secured) the Standard, saying in Matthew 5:20, “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’
I can imagine Him saying this… [Here is something else] … I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.” Paul, in Romans 3:22–24 teaches that righteousness comes through faith in the Christ, fulfilling the Law’s demands.
The Bible repeatedly calls believers to protect the vulnerable:
“Whoever is kind to the poor lends to the LORD, and will be repaid in full”— Prov 19:17
“Religion that GOD, our Father, accepts as pure and faultless is this: “to care for orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself unstained by the world”— Jam 1:27
“Inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did it to me”— Mat 25:40
SELFLESSNESS would suggest “crossing all lines of division is what is needed, in the effort to help one another live and live well, not just survive.”
It doesn’t have to be about Race!
The word “race” causes chaos because it’s scientifically weak, historically heavy, and socially overloaded. It is and has been used as a blunt tool for a delicate reality. As we have seen from the racially biased cultivation over the years, “me-ism” views and even “victimhood” have taken over the Commandment to give, serve, help and love our neighbors.
Returning to the Biblical Model of obedience and GOD’s Love can transform an entire society! How is that? Great question. When believers return to the Biblical model of obedience to the Creator, we will see the call to love people “regardless of the ‘tribe’” — meaning beyond cultural, political, or social boundaries. This obedience is rooted in all 66 Books of Scripture.
“Race” (as we use the word today) is not an early Biblical classification. In Scripture, people are distinguished by Tribe, nation, language, family lineage, Covenant identity and certainly geography. What also bound them together were shared customs—not by race in how the dictionaries and not-so-willing folks do today.
Let’s work to bridge these gaps and cross the divide(s) that we have worked to build, develop and manufacture around skin color.
The TANAKH uses:
gôyim — nations
ʿam — people-group
mišpāḥah — clan
zeraʿ — seed/offspring
The B’rit (new) Covenant (testament) follows the same pattern:
ethnos — nation/people
laos — a people
phylē — tribe
Why does everything need to be about race? Just like in many office environments, some people NEED a DIVIDER. Where society uses the fight for schism, we should fight to rebuild the place for the “humanity” of “family.”
One blood (Acts 17:26)
One image (Gen 1:26–27)
One family through Noah
One humanity in the Messiah (Eph 2:14–16)
Unity
Covenant
shared origin
shared destiny
TODAY, we are using the racial structure that emphasizes separation, hierarchy, suspicion and competition. …NOT the same as GOD’s, huh? They are fundamentally different systems.
Crossing all lines of division is what is needed, in the effort to help one another live and live well, not just survive. It Doesn’t have to be about Race! It NEVER was!
Crossing lines is the work of the righteous. Righteousness is relational repair.
What does us repairing something look like?
Restoring what is broken
Lifting the vulnerable
Bridging the gap
Protecting the weak
Working to bring people back into wholeness
Standing in the gap requires crossing. “I looked for someone to stand in the gap… but found no one” –Ez. 22:30
To heal a fractured world, someone must cross the lines that fear built, so others can live — not just survive.