Race: On the Image of God and Diseased Imagination

Race: On the Image of God and Diseased Imagination
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Race: On the Image of God and Diseased Imagination
James K. A. Smith has substantially illustrated complicated relationships among desires, beliefs, actions, and practices. Having reread Smith's chapter on the loves we have that are indicated by our actions, I can apply his insights to the issue of race relations by looking at how race influences cultural practices from a liturgical context. In many instances, race has been linked to particular cultural practices like religion. For instance, most whites and African Americans are considered Christians, whereas Islam and Hinduism dominate the Asian community. Since people are born and immersed in a particular religion, using Smith's analogy, these individuals may love that religion but dislike some of its practices. 
A perfect example is racial discrimination outlined by Alice walker in her short story, "The Welcome Table." This story is about an African American woman blocked from entering church due to her skin color. The lady attends a white-only church where the pastors and other believers direct her to leave (Walker, 1973). Some white men end up throwing her out of the building. It is shocking that people can treat their fellow humans with hatred and dislike.
Based on this story, any Christian can question the actions of the church, which are contrary to Biblical teaching that all people are created in the image of God, and therefore all races have equal status and unique value. This explains why Smith says, "Sometimes a man does not want to do what h...