“From one man he made all the nations… God did this so that they would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him.”
— Acts 17:26-27
A warm reflection on Acts 17:26-27, the dignity of every person, and God’s call to unity
Have you ever caught your heart pulling away from someone because they seemed different from you? Maybe it was not something you said out loud. Maybe it was a quiet assumption, a fear, or a judgment you barely noticed. Moments like that matter, because racism does not begin only in public systems or loud words. It also begins in the heart. And that is exactly why followers of Jesus must take it seriously. If God made every person in His image, then any attitude that treats people as less valuable because of race or ethnicity goes against the heart of God.
One Family, Created by God
In Acts 17:26, Paul says that God made all nations from one man. That simple truth is powerful: every one of us belongs to the same human family. No race is greater than another. No group is closer to the heart of God than another. We may look different, speak different languages, and come from different cultures, but we all share the same Creator. When I remember that, it changes the way I see people. The person in front of me is not “other.” They are someone made by God, loved by God, and worthy of dignity.
Paul also reminds us that God determined where people would live and when nations would rise and fall. That means diversity is not a mistake. It is part of God’s wise and beautiful design. He did not make a world full of variety so we could divide, rank, or resent one another. He made a world full of people and cultures so that, in all our searching, we might reach for Him and find Him. Acts 17:27 says God did this so people would seek Him, though He is not far from any one of us. Racism blinds us to that truth. It hardens the heart and keeps us from seeing the image of God in others.
Paul goes on to say that God arranged the world this way so people would seek Him and find Him, because He is not far from any of us. That means our biggest need is not to prove we are better than others. Our biggest need is to know God. Racism gets in the way of that. It hardens the heart, distorts the way we see people, and keeps us from loving others as image-bearers of God. When prejudice takes root, it pulls us away from the very God we claim to seek.
Following Paul’s Example
Paul’s sermon in Athens gives us a beautiful example of how to engage people across differences. He did not begin with contempt. He began by noticing, listening, and finding a bridge for truth. He saw spiritual hunger in the people around him and pointed them to the living God. That challenges me. If I want to reflect Christ, I cannot build walls in my heart. I am called to listen well, speak with humility, and move toward people with grace and truth.
Racism can also function like an idol. It lifts one group up while pushing another down. It feeds pride, fear, and superiority—things that have no place in the life of a believer. That is why Paul’s call to repentance matters so much. Repentance is not just feeling bad. It is turning around. It is asking God to search our hearts, confessing prejudice where it exists, and choosing love, humility, and reconciliation instead. This work is not always easy, but it is holy work. It is part of becoming more like Jesus.
“God commands all people everywhere to repent.”
— Acts 17:30
Acts 17 reminds us that we share one Creator, one human family, and one calling: to seek God. In Christ, we are invited to lay down prejudice, honor the dignity of every person, and become peacemakers in a divided world. My prayer is that God would keep shaping our hearts so that our churches become places where His love is not just preached, but clearly seen.
Minister A Francine Green I May 2026