Racism and Anti-semitism Remains...

I just received an email from my alma matter, Cornell University, stating that a sophomore there just plead guilty of stabbing an African American student who was visiting from Union College. Racial slurs were thrown out during the stabbing in what officials characterized as a hate crime. Apparently being black on an ivy league college campus is risky yet today.

While racism and anti-Semitism may be politically incorrect, such notions still rear their ugly head when tempers flair. Mel Gibson's tirade on Jews, Kramer's shouting racial slurs when angered on stage at comedy club, and the hate motivated crimes that we read about in passing all demonstrate that racism and anti-Semitism still exist. In short, the public temper tantrums provide a window to the hate that some folks still feel in their hearts.

Christians must continue to pray and take action against hatred and prejudice in our communities and indeed, in our own hearts. Many of us in the white majority continue to hold onto prejudices even if is not outwardly expressed on a daily basis. Indeed, we may not even be cognizant of such feelings. If we are in the majority community, we should check ourselves from time to time to ensure that we've worked through our perceptions and feelings regarding racism and religious prejudice.

Given our nation's abhorent history with matters of race, considerable progress on race relations has been made. The news from alma matter remind us that much work remains to be done.