In many of the countries Tearfund works in, racial and ethnic discrimination continues to marginalise communities. As the world tackles the coronavirus pandemic, the consequences of this are becoming increasingly clear.
There is inequality in access to health services and vaccines in places like India and Brazil. Ongoing lockdowns impact the potential for work in places where informal self-employment is the lifeline that keeps families alive.
Made in the image of God
If we truly believe the words in Psalm 139 that we were known before we were formed, we would accept that God knew what each of us would look like. And we'd accept that God was confident in that formation – Genesis 1:31 confirms this.
We were each made in the image of God, but it was never God's plan for anyone’s ethnic heritage to influence the way they are treated or for it to limit access to opportunities.
Standing on the side of justice
This is where we see that broken and unjust relationships have superseded the plan of God. But, as children of God and followers of Jesus, our aim should always be to reflect God's kingdom. This is why we cannot sit back and allow injustice to hold people in poverty or to impede life choices and devalue people’s humanity. We must always stand on the side of justice.
The murder of George Floyd may not appear to be directly linked to the work we do at Tearfund and that is because it's not a link, but a thread. We cannot care about lifting people out of poverty and ignore racial injustice. In God’s kingdom, both things matter equally.
The work we do at Tearfund, supported in prayer by you and our partners, will be strengthened as we strive both to understand racial injustice and pursue racial justice.
A new Bible study exploring the links between racial justice and poverty is available for use with your family, friends and church groups. You can download it here
