Fighting Racism And Prejudice Series

I was but a high school student when President Ronald Reagan gave one of the most famous Cold War speeches against the backdrop of the Berlin Wall. For those who may not know the story, the Berlin Wall was erected more than a decade after the conclusion of World War II in Berlin. Essentially the wall divided the city of Berlin into two nations: East Berlin, controlled by the former Soviet Union, and West Berlin, friendly to America, Great Britain, and France. For nearly forty years, the wall divided Germans friends and family – it was guarded, and few could pass through because it was well-guarded. The pain the wall created was incredible. At least one hundred people died or were killed as they attempted to get over the wall.

So with the wall as a backdrop, President Reagan stood outside and declared to a West Berlin crowd in 1987:

"There is one sign the Soviets can make that would be unmistakable, that would advance dramatically the cause of freedom and peace."

He then called upon his Soviet counterpart:

"Secretary-General Gorbachev, if you seek peace – if you seek prosperity for the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe – if you seek liberalization: come here, to this gate. Mr. Gorbachev, open this gate. Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall."

It would be another two years before the wall came down. All of the city of Berlin was finally reunited, allowing families and friends to see one another freely in October 1990. As big as that event was, it pales in comparison to the impact of the cross of Christ. In effect, Jesus' death was a "Tear Down that Wall" moment.

In the next few minutes, I want to show how the cross of Jesus can unite us like nothing else. Jesus' death not only reconciles God and us, but the death of Jesus also brings harmony to the different races of people.

We continue our "verse by verse" study of the book of Ephesians that Paul wrote in prison. We come to the back end of Ephesians 2 and how God brings all races together in Jesus Christ. By the way, can you think of a place that is any more racist than a prison? Today, you have the Aryan brotherhood in one prison gang, the Mexican mafia in another. Should we imagine it any different in Paul's day? Do you think ancient Roman prisons were a place of racial harmony any more than American prisons? Paul isn't writing this from an ivory tower, but he writes about Christian love from the middle of hot, filthy, poorly ventilated underground prison.

Officer Kim Potter

Now, there's widespread racial tension in our day. Whether it is white and black, Hispanic or Asian, we regularly see our news feeds filled with racial tension. Recently, officer Kim Potter accidentally shot a twenty-year-old unarmed black man named Dante Wright in Minnesota in recent days. Potter resigned this week and is facing manslaughter charges saying she accidentally shot the young man when she thought she was going for her taser. This recent incident happened only ten miles or so from where the trial of former police officer Derek Chauvin is ongoing. And who can forget this police officer (Derek Chauvin) putting his knee on the neck of George Floyd last year? The whole incident was sickening as admirable police officers have rightfully condemned Chauvin for his actions during the trial. I hurt for everyone involved in this.

Josh Gibson

In my own life, I remember my grandfather Alvin teaching me about a great baseball player named Josh Gibson. At the time, I was a huge baseball fan of the 1970s Pittsburgh Pirates team. I loved baseball cards, and the stats on the back of the cards would entertain me for hours. My grandfather Alvin would take me to my first baseball game where the New York Mets beat the Pirates 3-1 at the old Three Rivers Stadium. We sat behind Homeplate, and I was able to watch my favorite player at the time, Willie Stargell. It was through my grandfather Alvin, a machinist in the steel mills, that I learned that early black baseball players were not allowed to join in on the major leagues. Gibson was a prolific player in the Negro leagues. He actually played for the Homestead Grays around 1930, the very small town where my grandfather lived and worked outside of Pittsburgh. I was shocked to know that Gibson had hit over 800 career home runs and eighty-four in one year! Josh Gibson was known as the black Babe Ruth. Even to a small child under the age of ten, I didn't understand how the color of his skin prevented his accomplishments from being celebrated as Babe Ruth's.

Look with me at Ephesians 2 as I want to show you the advantage Jesus gives you to fight prejudice of all kinds. Jesus tears down the walls that separate us.