Confronting Racism in the Church and in the World

Racism is a sin that distorts how we see God and one another. When President Donald Trump circulated a racist meme depicting President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama as apes, he did not simply make a careless online choice. He used his public influence to spread an image rooted in a long and violent history of dehumanizing people of color. Such images have been used for generations to justify exclusion, terror, and even death. As Christians, and especially as Lutherans shaped by the gospel of grace and the call to love all our neighbors, we must say clearly: this was racist, it was harmful, and it stands in direct opposition to the faith we confess.

Scripture gives us no room to soften this truth. From the opening verses of Genesis, we learn that every person is created in the image of God. Anything that mocks, lowers, or degrades human dignity also mocks the God who created us. The prophets speak with force against leaders who harm the vulnerable. Jesus consistently crossed social and ethnic boundaries to restore the humanity of those treated as “less than.” Racist caricatures violate everything he taught and embodied.

Our Lutheran Confessions deepen this witness. The Augsburg Confession proclaims that faith frees us to love the neighbor. Luther teaches in the Small Catechism that the Fifth Commandment calls us not only to avoid harming our neighbor but to “help and support them in every physical need.” A meme that portrays Black individuals as animals is not harmless political rhetoric—it is a denial of our shared humanity and a stain on public life. When such speech comes from a president, the harm is magnified. Silence in the face of such racism would betray our calling as followers of Jesus Christ.

Despite his flaws, Martin Luther made it abundantly evident that Christians must oppose any practice or structure that dehumanize other people. In particular, his interpretation of the “priesthood of all believers” asserts that dignity does not come from earthly status but from God. Racism––whether in government, culture, or within our own church––directly contradicts this truth. Racism only weakens our witness and shatters the body of Christ.

The ELCA has already confessed the church’s history of complicity in racial injustice. Confession is not weakness; it is the courage to tell the truth. The steps of naming sin for what it is opens a path to transformation. In this moment, truth telling means saying plainly that President Trump’s social media post was racist and harmful, and that Christians are called to reject such dehumanization wherever it appears.

Turning toward new life means taking action. It means teaching our children and our congregations why images like this carry deep historical trauma. It means listening to the voices of Black members in our communities, honoring their experiences, and protecting their dignity. It means publicly standing against racist rhetoric, even when it comes from leaders we know or have supported. It means creating church spaces where every person is valued as a bearer of God’s image.

Lutheran theology teaches that repentance is not a feeling but a turning. Confronting racism—clearly, courageously, and without excuse—is part of that turning. Christ frees us for this work. In baptism we are joined to a Savior who breaks down dividing walls and restores our sight. Through Christ, we receive new eyes to see one another as God sees us.

May we use those eyes to speak truth, confront harm, protect the vulnerable, and build communities where every person’s God‑given dignity is honored. This is not optional work. It is gospel work. It is our work.

In the heart of Jesus,

Pastor Eric Randolph+