Quote:
Originally Posted by berkeley
No. You’re just wrong.
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So... your telling me that if a believer is raised in a family that had deeply held racist views... they should only seek to repent of their own racism (if such views were held), and not seek to redeem the family name and reputation? They shouldn't perhaps, make restitution or apology if their family caused considerable emotional harm or duress to a neighboring minority family?
Imagine if one's grandfather was a part of a group of guys who burned a cross in a black family's front yard, verbally taunting and making threats decades ago. And that black family took such offense because of the sheer fear of being violently harmed at that time, so much offense in fact that two generations have that black family have a significant degree of disgust and indignation for that man's family. And in a way, a type of feud existed that extended into other acts of sin back and forth.
Now, imagine a young man from this family being born again. Imagine him taking a drive across town to where his grandfather used to live. Imagine him walking up the steps, tears streaming down his face. An old black man sits in a rocking chair wondering, "What in the world is this white man with a Bible crying about?" The man says, "Sir, I know you don't know me. But, I was born again last week. And something has haunted me. Years ago, my grandfather did something terrible to your family." The old man's eyes widen, as he remembers the event. While the young man pours his heart out about what his grandfather did, an old woman walks outside, handkerchief over her mouth, listening. The young man continues, "I just want to say, I'm sorry for what my grandfather, his brothers, and friends did to your family all those years ago. You didn't deserve that. And, I just want to make this right before God." The old man stares with teary eyes and says, "Son, what on earth would make you come here to apologize to us?" And the young man says, "My Jesus. He wants me to set a new path for my family. And that path isn't going to be a path of hate. It stops right here, right now." The older black man looks puzzled, "What church do you go to?" With that, the woman says, "Gerald, let's invite the young man and in have some coffee."... and... a witness is born of the effort to right wrongs, and show Christian love. And as a result, this family is moved to visit this young man's Apostolic church.
If the pain and hurt from an ancestor's sin remains... we can't just wash our hands of it and say, "Well, wasn't my fault." Such crass, emotionless, selfishness is not the way of Scripture. If pain remains... there is room for apology, repentance (turning from the ancestors sin and CONDEMNING it), and perhaps in some cases, restitution.
You can't love your neighbor, and say you could care less about the hurt he or she carries because of an ancestor's abuse. That just ain't Christian.
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