This week I heard a Hollywood starlet (can’t remember her name) apologizing for being white. Her tears were evident and she sounded very sincere. I don’t know what she plans to do with her whiteness but others are following her example.
I think I understand what she was saying…in the course of US history, there have been whites who had slaves. There have been whites who abused people of color, there are currently whites who treat others (including other whites) with distain. These are all horrible acts done by evil people, and I grieve deeply because of them. BUT is it the whiteness of the person that caused these egregious acts? When a white child exits the birth canal, does something attach to the skin causing he or she to have preconceived ideas about race? Of course not.
This ploy is the next step in satan’s attempt to destroy human beings. He wants us to forget that we all were once slaves to his cunning. He wants us to forget that God freed us from his power. He wants us to believe we are just like him. He has used his ploys throughout the history of the world. There have been Egyptians, Chinese, Cambodian, Arians, and even Africans who enslaved their fellow humans causing great harm and abuse. However, these groups are not apologizing for their skin color. Why is that? Because the problem isn’t with our melanin.
I do believe we should grieve and apologize for the acts of our ancestors. Apologizing for our skin color, however, is saying God made a mistake in our creation. No, friend, it is not the color of our skin we should be apologizing for but the condition of our hearts and the actions our hearts cause. The unregenerate heart desires power and dominance over others. The unrepentant heart will do whatever it takes to achieve these goals. They will lie, abuse, and prevent reasonable discussions in order to get their way.
The enemy invented and is using a physiological method called gas lighting. Gas lighting is a form of psychological manipulation in which a person seeks to sow seeds of doubt in a targeted individual or in members of a targeted group, making them question their own memory, perception, and sanity.
This manipulation is mostly seen in abusive relationships but we are seeing on a large scale upon our society. People with evil agendas are using this method to cause us to doubt everything about us…our color, our nationality, even our family. None of us had any control over these things, yet we need to be ashamed of them. You see, if you are told something over and over by someone you trust, you begin to believe what they are telling you is true. The enemy can be very persuasive.
Gas lighting is not new. The enemy has used this trick for thousands of years. He used it in the garden: “…Did God really say?...” Genesis 3: 1 He sowed seeds of doubt into Eve’s mind and she became confused. The logic he presented was so clear…so she fell for his lies. We know how that turned out! We are being told over and over if we are a certain color, if we are a certain gender, or if we have values that differ from those gas lighting us, we are worthless and should no longer exist. Sadly, many are believing this to be true as evidenced by this starlet’s confession.
What is our defense? Believer, remember who you are in Christ. Galatians 3:28 states:“There is no Jew or Greek, slave or free, male and female; since you are all one in Christ Jesus.” When Christ comes into our lives, He makes us new creations…our color doesn’t change but our hearts do. When our hearts change, we see others as Christ sees them; we see people who need the saving blood of Jesus. satan doesn’t want us to know or see this because once we know the truth we are free from his abusive lies.
We begin to love all, have compassion for all, see all as valuable creations of God. We begin to love because we have been set free. Galatians 5:1 says, “It was for freedom that Christ set us free. Stand firm then and don’t submit again to a yoke of slavery.” We have a choice, Believer. We can once again be enslaved by the lies of our enemy, or realize the freedom Christ has given us.
