Is God Colorblind?
According to much that has been said and written over the past many years, there is a fairly strong consensus which says God is color blind. That is to say He looks upon people of all colors of skin without noticing their color, or at least not making a distinction. A recent editorial in the Oklahoma Baptist Messenger proclaimed with vehemence that yes indeed Almighty God is color blind!
I suppose I had never thought deeply about this issue until a few years ago, while in seminary. A guest speaker in a chapel service, who happened to be a black man, proclaimed that he was offended when God was labeled as being color blind. He went on to talk about how God carefully formed and crafted each and every individual giving them every inner and outer detail. Some He made tall, while some He made short. He made a variety of hair and eye colors. He made a variety of skin tones from the very fair complected to the very dark. He made dimpled chins and non-dimpled chins. Some He made with freckles, some without. Even the casual observer can easily discern that God did not make everyone from the same mold. No human being is a product which was mass produced on an assembly line.
I fear those who refer to God as color blind are insulting themselves without knowing they are doing so. Even more importantly than that, they are insulting God unknowingly. God could have made everyone the same, but chose not to do so. A person with black hair is no better or worse than a person with auburn hair. A person with green eyes is no better or worse than someone with blue eyes. As people we should celebrate the unique way God created each of us. We are all of equal worth before God, but at the same time individually crafted in a very special way.
David cried out to God in Psalm 139, “I am fearfully and wonderfully made!” We are taught in the New Testament that even the hairs of our head are numbered. What amazing love God has for us that He would be so concerned with us! It is truly amazing! Could God number our hairs and not notice the color of our skin, among other things. I do not think so. Human beings are like so many other things in God’s creation; we are varied and unique. God made such a vast array of animals, plants, trees, flowers, etc. all in accordance with His good pleasure. He made us all very special! Let us not oversimplify what God has done with blanket statements such as “God is color blind.” I know those who often say this are combating racism, among other things, but when they make such a statement it is, in many regards more harmful than good. With David, the Psalmist, we can proclaim to our creator, “I am fearfully and wonderfully made!” Let us all celebrate all those whom our God created!
In Christ,
Pastor Allen Raynor