“From now on then, we do not know anyone in a purely human way. Even if we have known Christ in a purely human way, yet now we no longer know him like that. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation; old things have passed away and look, new things have come. Now everything is from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that is, in Christ, God was reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them and he committed the message of reconciliation to us. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ; certain that God is appealing through us, we plead on Christ’s behalf , ‘Be reconciled to God.’  He made the One who did not know sin to be sin for us, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”

~II Corinthians 5.16-21, Holman Christian Standard Bible

What does our belief in race settle?  What dispute is then resolved amicably because of it?  What two does it make compatible?  What does race reconcile?

What does an identity as a racial being reconcile for us in light of this passage in Paul’s second letter to the church at Corinth?  If after becoming Christians, if after being born again and repositioned through this baptism in Christ, why do we continue to see and know others, including Christ, in a purely human way?  And race is purely human– in construct tradition and in practice.  Even though we have known persons in a purely human way, when we are reconciled with God and we become the righteousness of God in Christ, we must no longer know each other in this way. But why?

Because we have been given the ministry of reconciliation and we become ambassadors or representatives of God, who does not know us in a purely human way.  How do I know this?  Because God does not count our trespasses against us.  God sees something more than our flesh, more than the human condition.  God sees something new.  This is why God is then able to accept us as righteous and to commit His message to us as believers. 

And God is reconciling the world to Himself.  God is not jus reconciling one culture, country or continent.  But, God wants all the people of the earth to be reconciled to Him.  He does want to count any of their trespasses against them.

Our rightstanding with God is not found on the outside of us; it cannot be identified there. But, our righteousness is attained through our position in Him, in Christ Jesus. So, again, I ask, what does race reconcile?