“But he who hates his brother is in darkness and walks in
darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded
his eyes.”
(1 John 2:11)
I watched a program on PBS recently and they were showing pictures of African American men and women who had been lynched in the early south. I had seen programs before reporting how small groups of men—mostly in white hoods—had performed lynchings in the past in this country. But this program had photos of practically an entire town of 9,000 people who turned out in the public square, in their Sunday best, to witness the lynching and burning of a black man. White men, women, and children were in attendance. And they were celebrating it.
I had no words.
How can people be this evil, this twisted, this heartless, this hateful, this cruel?
The author of the story said that in order to end racism in the country we first have to talk about these atrocities. He said there also has to be repentance.
And he was mostly right. There does need to be repentance.
But the answer is not simply man repenting to man of his wicked deeds, or the wicked deeds of his ancestors.
All men must first turn to God and repent of their sins against Him.
And then admit that we cannot fix ourselves. We cannot create global peace. We cannot attain enlightenment. We cannot end racism. We cannot end wars.
We cannot save ourselves.
Look at the broken condition of the entire planet. Look at how our global society has devolved over the millennia. Hatred, division, murder, genocide, addictions, immorality, corruption, etc, are worse now than ever.
Can anyone really claim that our society has evolved into being more peaceful, loving and kind?
No, mankind has proven time and again that true repentance, forgiveness and reconciliation are not attainable through ourselves.
The solution is first realizing that our problem is a spiritual problem—an issue of the heart.
I've learned and experienced, that what comes out of a man is only what was already inside him. Hatred, vengeance, even murder—are in the heart of all human beings.
Jesus said murder begins in the heart.
Maybe you’ve never physically killed someone. But to Christ, hating someone is the same as murdering him. Lusting after someone who is not your wife or husband is just the same as actually committing the physical act of adultery.
Man looks at what is on the outside of a person—but God sees the heart.
So what is the answer?
Jesus said,
“A man must be born again.” (See John 3:7)
“A man must be born again.” (See John 3:7)
The nature or ‘spirit’ of mankind is sinful and fallen. We need a spiritual re-birth—a new heart. And only God through Jesus Christ can give that.
The last six thousand years of world history is proof enough that man on his own does not possess the power or goodness within himself to solve the world’s problems of hatred, racism, division, and war.
If you really are open, and are searching for truth, for the solution, for the spiritual re-birth that only Christ can give, then you will find it through Him.
And you start by crying out to God. Ask Him to reveal Himself to you.
If you genuinely want to know Jesus He will open Himself up to you. Through Him you will know true peace, forgiveness and reconciliation.
Jesus is the only solution to the world’s heart problem.
—God is Love and Love Never Fails
