and structural, sometimes all of these.

the world, his people, God's people, the Jewish people,

Before continuing with this letter, I would encourage

were a conquered people, often despised by their foreign

each reader to ask when he or she first became aware of

rulers. Jesus gave us the means to find our way back to his

racial difference and of how they reacted to it. A Chicago

Father, whom he taught us to call our Father. Jesus, the

businesswoman told me once, as a simple matter of fact,

new Adam, went to his death on the sixth day to recreate

that she never wakes up in the morning without realizing

us by redeeming us from sin and Satan. We are again to

immediately that she is a black woman. How should the

walk in unity, as one people enjoying the variety of plants,

rest of us react to that fact of her consciousness? Why

animals and human cultures, which constitute the world

does our faith tell us that we are to  dwell together? 

redeemed by Christ. Through his preaching and healing,

through the pattern of discipleship he called people to

GOD, THE CREATOR

follow, through his bodily resurrection from the dead, the

The book of Genesis reveals God as the Creator of a vast

Lord Jesus literally embodies for us a new way of life,

universe teeming with a rich diversity of plants and

which conforms to the will and reign of God. Jesus

animals, surrounded by the sea and sky. The rising and

transcends, challenges and transforms everything that

setting of the sun and moon marks off the rhythm of

divides the human community (Gal. 3:28). He calls us

creation's life. A God whose own being and goodness

back to a communion with one another, a unity, which

generated more being and goodness called creation into

reflects the communion of God's own Trinitarian life. 

being separate from himself and yet intrinsically

May they all be one as you, Father are in me and I in

dependent upon him. United in the dynamics and

you. So also may they be one in us, that the world may

mutual self giving of their life as God, the Father, the Son

believe that you sent me. The glory which you gave me I

and the Holy Spirit create out of infinite love the universe

have given to them, that they may be one, as we are one; I

and all that fills it. According to the book of Genesis, the

in them and you in me, may they be perfectly one. Then

culmination and high point of God's creative energy is the

the world will know that you sent me, and that you loved

creation of the human race on the sixth day: 

them as you loved me (John 17:20 22).

Racism, whether personal, social, institutional or

The 1979 U.S. Bishops' pastoral on racism teaches that

structural, contradicts the purpose of the incarnation of

 racism is a sin: a sin that divides the human family,

the Word of God in the womb of the Virgin Mary.

blots out the image of God among specific members of

Racism contradicts God's will for our salvation. We

that family, and violates the fundamental human dignity

cannot claim to love God without loving our neighbor

of those called to be children of the same Father. 

(Mat.22: 34 ff.). Since racism is a failure to love our

neighbor, only freedom from racism will enable us to be

God created man in his own image; in the image of

one with God and one another.

God he created him; male and female he created

them and God saw everything that he had made,

THE HOLY SPIRIT

and it was very good (Genesis 1:27; 31).

The vision of a community dwelling in God's

unconditional and universal love may sound like an

Though God intended that all creation live in the

impossible dream, but in God all things are possible

harmony and love that unites it as one, human

(Mark 10:27). The radical conversion needed to overcome

beings, exercising their free will, defied the will of

the sin of racism is made possible by the Holy Spirit. Sent

God and replaced the divinely planned harmony

by the risen Christ, the Holy Spirit dwells in our hearts

with division, the divinely willed unity with

and in our midst to empower us to live truly as God's

conflict, the divinely intended community with

people. By the power of the Holy Spirit acting in us, we

fragmentation. One form of human division,

can do infinitely more than we can ask or imagine

conflict and fragmentation is racism: personal,

(Eph. 3:20). Jesus assured his disciples that the abiding

social, institutional and structural. Racism mars our

presence of the Spirit would empower them to be faithful: 

identity as a people, as the human race made in the

image and likeness of God (Gen. 1:27).

When the Counselor comes, whom I shall send to

you from the Father the Spirit of truth who

JESUS, THE LORD

proceeds from the Father he will bear witness to

Jesus, the incarnation of the eternal Son of God, entered

me. And you also are witnesses, because you have

human history two millennia ago. When Jesus came into

been with me from the beginning (John 15:26 27).

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