When I look at many of the challenges we face in America around race and ethnicity, Ephesians 4:18 comes to mind. In simple words, that verse talks about people whose understanding has become darkened, who are separated from the life God wants for them, because their hearts have become hard.
That sounds like a spiritual issue, but we see it show up in everyday life. When people refuse to respect the dignity of another person because of race, ethnicity, culture, or background, something deeper is going on. Genesis 1:27 reminds us that every human being is made in the image of God. That means every person carries value, worth, and dignity because God created them.
So when we look down on another person, mistreat them, dismiss their pain, or act as if they matter less, we are not just disagreeing with people—we are dishonoring God’s design. Sometimes this happens because people do not know God’s Word. Other times, people know what God says but choose to ignore it. Either way, the result is the same: hearts become hard, minds become closed, and love grows cold.
Ephesians 4:18 helps us see that racism, hatred, pride, and division are not only social problems. They are also heart problems. A darkened understanding means we stop seeing people the way God sees them. A hardened heart means we resist truth, refuse correction, and protect our own attitudes instead of letting God change us.
If America is truly going to heal, we cannot only treat the symptoms. We must deal with the condition of the heart. Laws, conversations, programs, and policies may help, but they cannot replace repentance, humility, truth, and love. Only God can soften a hard heart. Only God can open blind eyes. Only God can teach us to love our neighbor as ourselves.
This also means the church has a responsibility. Before we point fingers at the nation, we must look honestly at the household of faith. Are we living what we preach? Are we treating every person as someone made in God’s image? Are our families, churches, and communities showing the love, justice, mercy, and unity of Christ?
If Christians fail to live out the faith we claim, our witness becomes weak. When our homes are not shaped by Christ, our churches lose power. When our churches lose power, our communities miss the light they were supposed to receive from us. Real change must begin with us—with repentance, prayer, truth, humility, and a renewed commitment to obey God’s Word.
The answer is not to pretend race and ethnicity do not matter. The answer is to see them through God’s eyes. Our differences should not make us enemies. They should remind us of the beauty, creativity, and fullness of God’s creation. If every person is made in God’s image, then every person deserves to be treated with honor. May God remove the darkness from our understanding, soften the hardness in our hearts, and help us become people who reflect His love in a divided world.
Minister A Francine Green I July 2026