What's the fuss about marrying a Malay?

Recently I've helped the AUSMAT drama team come out with 'Curry Puff Blues', a 30 minutes production for INTEC's 25th anniversary's Language Awareness Night with a very strong theme of interracial marriage. A poor chinese guy wanted to be with a rich malay lady, but ended being caught and being thrown into the river. With the idea taken from the movie 'Sepet', the message of the drama was something that is very dear to my heart, racism.

Recently, as I was talking and discussing about future marriage and boy-girl relationship with my mother and grandfather, I joked with them whether would they be happy if I am to marry a Malay or perhaps an Indian or perhaps an Orang Asli. True to the popular prejudice to both of these races, my grandad says (with respect to my non-Chinese friends, for the sake of quoting him), "IF YOU MARRY AN INDIAN, YOUR CHILDREN'S WORTH WOULD BE REDUCED TO HALF! INDIAN LADIES ARE UGLY, DARK, AND YOUR DESCENDANTS WILL BE IMPURE, WORTHLESS. YOU KNOW, THE MALAY CIVILISATION IS JUST 400 YEARS, AND THE CHINESE CIVILISATION STARTS FOR 5000 YEARS. HOW CAN YOU MARRY BARBARIANS?"

Tough, strong statements that can cut deep into the hearts of those who heard it. My grandpa is not a Christian. I turned to my mum, double discouragement, she succumbed to the devil's lie of racism. Racism and racial prejudice is so rampant in the society and worst still, it has crept in to the church as well. But what should we, Christian respond and act towards this issue. Is racism biblical? Is racism justified?

On the 22nd day of September, 1862 the President of the United States of America, Abraham Lincoln, issued an emancipation proclamation declaring every man free. The proclamation was reinforcing the words of many, that all men were created equal. But many people could not endorse that statement. Sad to say, many Christians who speak of the love of God are secretly racist within their hearts. Today, Christ also has an emancipation proclamation with a condition for every man. And He is saying in John 8:32, "And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." What is this "truth" that Jesus spoke of? Well, consider the following.

Acts 10:10-14
10 And he became very hungry, and would have eaten: but while they made ready, he fell into a trance,
11 And saw heaven opened, and a certain vessel descending unto him, as it had been a great sheet knit at the four corners, and let down to the earth:
12 Wherein were all manner of fourfooted beasts of the earth, and wild beasts, and creeping things, and fowls of the air.
13 And there came a voice to him, Rise, Peter; kill, and eat.
14 But Peter said, Not so, Lord; for I have never eaten any thing that is common or unclean.
28 And he said unto them, Ye know how that it is an unlawful thing for a man that is a Jew to keep company, or come unto one of another nation; but God hath showed me that I should not call any man common or unclean

Clearly the God has endorsed that we should never call any creation of God ‘unclean’. There should not be ‘holier’ or ‘better’ than thou attitude in our lives because the Bible clearly states that ‘ALL men have sinned and had fall short of the glory of God’. You and I are sinners, unworthy people, and we have no rights whatsoever to condemn or to judge anyone, or any group unworthy to associate with. Christ died for one race; the human race. This is how we should see different ethnic groups as how God looks at us, human beings who needs the love of God, equal before the Almighty One.

Peter accepted the truth but many others in the Christian church refuse to see all people as equals. Therefore, they are exhibiting a form of Godliness, but there is no power. The power only comes when there is oneness. How can a group of people suggest to be in one accord when they are segregated by racism? Where is the love? When Christ is in the heart, the love of man becomes unconditional. Men will not see color, but a sister and a brother in Christ. How can we say that I am an elder in the church, yet at the same time certain members are neglected because they are black? How can you say that I am a Pastor, a man of God, yet at the same time you have ill feelings towards the white members of your church? Who hath bewitched you friend? The Bible says, "Let no man deceive you." But many have been deceived, in believing that they are better than others.

Galatians 3:2828 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.

God gave Moses an Ethiopian woman to be his wife. Two race coming together. Hagar, Abraham's maid was from a different race. Friends, God sees people, He does not see race. Is there not beauty in everything? Yes there is. It is just that some people are so pre-disposed a certain way that they cannot see it. The fact is, God did not create race. He did not create black and white. The Bible said, "So God created man." Genesis 1:27.All people came from Adam and Eve. Therefore, where did race come from? The beginning of race started at the Tower of Babel. From that point onward our geographical location, climate and infrastructure had everything to do with our features.

Many want to preserve something that God did not create. Race came about as a result of sin. God wanted us to be one people. If we did not walk away from God, if we did not try to build a tower unto heaven, then we would not be in this segregated mess. One day, their will be no more race, just one people. At that point, no one will have a reason to be racist, for we will be one people. Friend, I do not know about you, but I am longing for that day. The day where situational racism and all other kinds of racism will be destroyed. God made all man in His image and all man equal. Image has a lot more to it than just color. It is our attitudes, mannerism and our character. Man is skin deep. For many, image means color. Racism prevents us from seeing the physical form of the entire face and body of a person. We only see color and then exclaim, "that person does not look like me." Why, because we are condition and bent that way because of the corrupted teachings of this world. God does not see race, He sees people. We must get to the point where we are separated by nothing, in God. God made us one people and we will be one people again.

Philippians 2:33 Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves.We should always, as the command from the Bible, esteem others better than ourselves.

Jeff Spencer, an evangelist laid down 4 main points of contradiction between racism and Christianity.

RACISM VERSUS THE LOVE FOR GOD

Can we honestly claim to love God if we do not love and accept those He created in his likeness? The Bible answers: If someone says, "I love God," and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen? And this commandment we have from Him: that he who loves God must love his brother also (I John 4:20 - 21).

RACISM VERSUS THE CHARACTER OF GOD.

Racism is about as far removed from God's character as one can get. God does not possess the shallow trait of "judging a book by its cover." While man looks at the outward appearance, "...the Lord looks at the heart" (I Samuel 16:7). As Peter so accurately stated, "In truth I perceive that God shows no partiality. But in every nation whoever fears Him and works righteousness is accepted by Him" (Acts 10:34-35).

RACISM VERSUS THE UNITY IN CHRIST

In the world of the First Century, there was constant enmity between Jew and Gentile (non-Jewish). Jesus came "...that he might reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross, thereby putting to death the enmity" (Eph. 2:16). In the body (or church) of Christ (Eph. 1:22-23), all barriers are removed (Eph. 2:14). A Christian is one who has put on the new man "...who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him, where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcised nor uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave nor free, but Christ is all and in all" (Col. 3:10-11; cf. Gal 3:28). The barriers removed in Christ include those of nationality ("Greek nor Jew"), heritage ("circumcised nor uncircumcised"), culture ("barbarian, Scythian"), and social class ("slave nor free"). There is no place for racial prejudice in the Lord's church.

RACISM VERSUS THE GREAT COMMISSION

God "...desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth" (I Tim. 2:4). He loved "the world" (consisting of every race) so much that he gave His only begotten Son (John 3:16; Rom. 5:8). Christians are to "shine as lights in the world, holding fast the word of life" (Phil. 2:15-16). We are to reach out to those of "all nations" with the saving message of the gospel (Matt. 28:19-20). Racism has absolutely no room in this task. It is a hindrance in carrying out the great commission of our Lord.

Friends, as followers of our Lord Jesus Christ, we need to come to know that the grace of God upon our lives should not be forgotten. We are the forgiven people, and we ought to see people with God’s grace and mercy, to see people as equal, for this is the highest act of love.

Coming back to the question of interracial marriage, we are not to judge or to limit ourselves to a certain racial group to marry because God’s purpose and will is the most important of all. As long as we do not be unequally yoked and pursue marriage with wisdom, God’s blessing is upon each and every union.

fauzi