A Letter to My Children About Racism

By Tom Sugimura

T

o my children,

You have heard recently about Asian Americans being mocked or harmed because of their ethnic origin. This is not a new occurrence in our country’s history, but it may be new for you. So I want to share with you some truths to help you think rightly about it.

You Are Loved 

First, you are loved. Your mom and I love you (Psalm 127:3-5). Your siblings love you, though it may not always seem like it (Psalm 133:1). You have many friends and a church family that will love you at all times (Galatians 3:28).

Most importantly, God loves you so much that he gave his Son to die for you (John 3:16; 1 John 4:7-11) and he created you to reflect his image in your own unique way (Genesis 1:27). As such, you are fearfully and wonderfully made (Psalm 139:13-16). So remember that you are loved. Even when hateful people say or do things to harm you, it cannot change your identity or your value (Romans 8:35-39).

Be Wise in Your Response 

When people sin against you as they eventually will do, be wise in your response (Colossians 4:5-6). Sometimes it is best to ignore the fool and stay out of the mud (Proverbs 26:4). At other times, you might instruct the well-meaning person to see their ignorance (Proverbs 26:5). In some cases, ask for help from authorities (e.g., your teacher, your boss at work, the police) whom God grants the power to establish peace and justice (Romans 13:1-4).

The wisest response might even be to fight or to protest peacefully. This is especially true when you are defending those who cannot protect themselves (Proverbs 31:8-9). God does not permit you to sin against those who sin against you, but his Word grants us a variety of responses. This is the way (Proverbs 23:19).

God is Sovereign and Good 

When you face adversity, trust that God is both sovereign and good (Isaiah 46:9-10). Racism was a daily experience for grandma’s father. He lived through the Chinese Exclusion Act and had to take a stranger as his picture bride because Chinese women weren’t allowed to enter the country without being already married. He witnessed God’s love when Christians brought your grandma to church while she was just a child. Then he experienced it again when the pastor visited him in the hospital after surgery. Your great-grandpa put his faith in Jesus because that was the first act of real kindness ever shown to him by a White man.

We don’t know every reason behind our suffering, but we know our God is both sovereign and good. “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28). He will make all things right—if not in this life, then ultimately in the life to come (Revelation 21:1-5).

Remember the Good News in Jesus 

People sin (Romans 3:10-12) against you, perhaps for the color of your skin or the stereotype of your culture. Yet remember that you and I are also sinners, “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). We cannot view their racism as more deserving of God’s judgment than our own pride or discrimination against others (Matthew 7:3-5; Romans 6:23). We all need a Savior who will forgive our sin (1 John 1:9; Proverbs 28:13) when we place our trust in him (Romans 10:9, 13).

Not only that, but Jesus can also heal you from any shame or scars resulting from racial hatred (Romans 10:11). He knows personally how much it hurts to suffer (Hebrews 4:15), yet he himself refused to respond in sinful anger against those who reviled him (1 Peter 2:21-24).

Pray Away Your Anxiety 

Finally, do not be anxious when you are tempted to avoid certain people or situations because you fear their opinion of you (Proverbs 29:25). Instead, put your trust in God (Proverbs 3:5-6; Philippians 4:4-6). Pray for his peace when you are afraid and his wisdom when you don’t know what to do (James 1:2-6). Pray that God will protect your heart (Proverbs 4:23) and grant you the right words to say (Luke 12:11-12). Pray for those who persecute you that they might turn to God themselves (Matthew 5:43-45).

Then pray that any who still suffer will find lasting hope in God (Lamentations 3:19-26). “And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:7).

* A version of this article first appeared at Sola Network

Photo by Kate Macate on Unsplash

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Tom Sugimura pastors New Life Church in Woodland Hills, California, leads the Greenhouse Church Planting Residency, and trains counselors at The Master’s University. He and his wife, Amanda, are raising four rambunctious children whose stories can be found in Hope for New Dads. Tom also blogs regularly at Grace & Truth about the intersection between life and Scripture.