Racism has been defined and dissected for decades. It is the subject of thesis of many scholars around the world. For me, put simply, racism is refurbished or rebranded form of hatred towards someone because of their membership of an ethnic group usually a minority. You may not agree with the root word of hatred but like love is the answer to hate, love is the answer to racism.

As an immigrant from the most populous black nation in the world, I have had my share of racism in Canada, but I made up my mind with the help of God, not to get bitter with anyone or to label the country racist. I have seen people who cannot just stand my colour and who will veer completely off the trail because one black boy is coming and then return to the trail after passing me. I have seen one or two persons get uncomfortable seeing me appear at meetings. You can almost feel their disgust as thick as a chocolate bar, though they try to hide it. Sadly, you still see people who have not grown pass this mindset even in the church.

Here is how I deal with it.

Assured of God’s love and a healthy self-image. The most powerful way I deal with racism is the assurance that God loves me. I am fully convinced of my identity as the beloved of God. I am so drunk with this assurance that all my kids have their first names speaking to this beloved identity. Someone has challenged me before that the names of my kids have the same meaning. I smiled. I am fully persuaded that the God who made me loves me, and I need no other. When I say, I need no other, it does not mean I do not appreciate being loved by fellow human beings or having relationship with others. I have many lovely people around me including my family, colleagues etc. but it means that if anyone for that matter chooses to hoard his love and exhumes disdain, I already have the love of the father and it is more than enough! His love gives me a healthy image of myself.

With that, I do not go around trying to win somebody’s love or trying to break into a clique or blend to a mould, especially the ones not interested in me. I tell my kids, they are complete in God, and they need nothing more to complete them or make them feel good about themselves. Jesus loves me for the bible tells me so. I believe it. I have used the love of God as answers for so many issues of life. If I suffer loss or fail in anything, I remind myself, I am the beloved of God. With that assurance, I have overcome many situations that could have turned me to a wreck.

Listen, the system or people may be treating you like a garbage or may have treated you as slaves. It hurts, I admit but don’t stay there whining or trying to fight back in your own way. Get to know the love of the father and you won’t miss theirs. I am aware so many bad words have been spoken into the lives of Indigenous kids while they were young which demoralized many of them and robbed them of their self-esteem. Many of them are angry and rightly so. The other day, a young guy hit and broke the glass of the EPS bus in Downtown Edmonton for no reason. He is probably angry at the system and just attempting to get back but that's not the right way to fight. You don't fight with hatred or with a life of crimes. If you have any around you, try reach out to them with words of affirmation and show them love. Tell yourselves these positive words of identity from the bible if no one is telling you. Those negative words will be driven out and replaced with words of love from your creator. I am not saying it will happen overnight but stay there to absorb the words of the one who made you who you are. You are no less to anyone because of your colour or race. Discountenance the lies. God made you well and has a good purpose for your life. If you learn to accept His love and assurance, your countenance will change overtime and you will be filled with enthusiasm for life. 

I can share with you a few verses which speaks to how much God loves each of us individually. For instance, in His words recorded in the bible, He said “I have loved you with an everlasting love”. Another verse says He loves you so much that He gave himself for you so that you can have eternal life. That love is colour blind! No matter how bad people see you or how terrible your past is, He is not ashamed of you. What more do I need? If the maker of heaven and earth is saying, He is not ashamed of me, a racist can keep his version of distorted “love” and respect. I won’t even know because nothing is missing. In any case, a racist didn’t write my destiny, God did and He is kind to all.

The creator, our heavenly father longs to know you, walk with you if you will accommodate His love. You do not need to get good to have His love, you get good by receiving His love. If you open the door of your heart to Him, He won’t ignore or reject you. If you need more clarity on this love subject, get in touch with us using our prayer page or email us, we will be willing to share more materials with you in getting to know the love of the creator as a father.

Other ways I deal

Focus on the good ones. Look around you closely, not all the people are racist. There is a way the mind works. It tends to focus on the few or minority doing bad or the few areas in your life not working well. When tempted to feel bad about the racism you see at work or the systemic one, remind yourself of the good ones. Remind yourself of the man who showed you kindness at the train station, the one who gave you a genuine smile, the other one who welcomed you warmly. Not all the people are racist. There are great Canadians who genuinely love people and are not bigots. I have got a wonderful friend in Dan Murphy who really care about me when I arrived in Edmonton and has been a good friend ever since. I have seen him castigate racism. He does not deny it but he challenges it. He does not just talk about it but he lives it out. He does not look down on people of other races. I had great guys who helped me a lot while in college in Ottawa. Chantel Elher and Michel Thellend were genuinely kind and open to me. They did not judge me or feel suspicious of me just because of my colour. Instead of focusing and complaining over the few who are racist, I think of great people like these and many others I can’t mention here who have shown me genuine love and acceptance and I have shown similar acceptance. Talk of counting your blessings and ignore few ignorant ones.

Empathy for ignorance. I sincerely believe it is a deep-seated ignorance that makes people think they are better in value than other people because of their race or colour. The same God who made Caucasians, made Indians, black and we are all one and same. Male and Female, the bible says, created he them and he made no one intrinsically better than the other. Everyone is valuable and value does not have colour.

Prayer for those hurting from racism, rejection, bias, prejudices. [Ephesians 3:18-19]

“And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, 18 may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, 19 and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.”