Racism misrepresents who God is and so who we are as humans. It dis-integrates one of the most basic symbols of God diversity in unity—His Oneness (the Shema).

 The whole idea of the Trinity is that God is diverse and social, even within Himself, apart from us. You see this from Genesis on, where God is hovering, considering, conversing even before He creates people. He is relational. People it turns out reflect who He is—a God of diversity, and a relational social God.

In Genesis, God is hovering in social relationship within Himself–The Spirit and Christ and Father are collaborating together. Then when they create humans, they make them social–creatures in relationship. This relational quality to being human is part of how become ourselves. We relate, therefore we become who we are. We are social by nature.

Death divides, Life unites. Let’s move in the ways of Life. Let’s be those who usher in unity with the beauty of diversity. Be part of symbolizing that. Let’s participate in the symbol of who God actually is. “A symbol is something which participates in the Reality to which it points.” As Paul Tillich put it. This is but one reason why symbols matter.

 Arguing against racism from symbols may seem odd to some. But everything we do has a symbolic dimension which communicates. Reality is replete with a symbolic dimension which is always talking, as one art critique put it.

  Racism symbolizes disintegration. Rather than growing in relation, we react to other in fear, and lose that mutual blessing of formation which can only come by loving relation with others who are not like you.

 Loving relationship with other is the way we are given to grow up, mature. When we reject an entire race, we lose out on knowing a huge part of who God is.

  God reflects Himself in racial diversity. So to throw out a whole people group is to lose relationship with that part of God’s reflection. We are the poorer because of it.

 Humans are meant to become in relationship with one another. We are social becomers, as Dallas Willard put it. When we throw out an entire people group, it cripples our own souls.

 Social relationship with others who are not like us, is how things are set up for us to become more fully human and alive. There is a mutual life flow which happens when with others unlike ourselves. There is a mutual edification and becoming, which is only possible in that relational way.

The opposite of racism is proactively loving those who are not like yourself, and receiving that mutual becoming which is only possible in diversity.

We are able to become ourselves to the degree we are in depth and loving relationships with one another. We become by loving one another.

But God is One integrated, diverse yet unified relational social God.