The Colorblind Kingdom: Justice, Jesus, and the Road to True Reconciliation
What I knew about racism prior to this week’s assignment can be illustrated by this story: I was attending a Renovare week-long residency a few years ago. One of our leaders for the week was an Anglican priest with a DMin. He is a deeply thoughtful man with a great sense of humor; he’s a truly committed follower of Jesus who welcomes everyone.
At dinner one evening, I sat with him and several other members of our cohort. He told the story of his high school prom. I may misremember some of the details, but the gist of it went like this:
He lived in a state that we would consider part of the “south;” I think it may have been Louisiana.
Before he went to pick up his date, his parents reminded him to obey any and all authorities without giving them grief, especially the police. My friend picked up his date in his car, and as they were driving to the prom, he was stopped.
As he had been taught for years, he put both hands on the steering wheel and spoke deferentially to the police officers. Yes, as you may have surmised by now, my friend is Black. His date was white.
He was given a lot of grief by the police that night, and it really put a damper on their evening. He was afraid he was going to spend his prom night in jail.
After my friend had related his story, a woman at our table then told her story. She and her husband are also Black and have several sons. These young men, too, were always warned to be deferential to authorities and to put their hands on the steering wheel when stopped.
One of her sons had been falsely identified as the perpetrator of a crime. The police came and took him out of his classroom at school, in front of all his classmates. He was put in jail, and the family had to struggle to get proper representation. Ultimately, charges against him were dropped. But his whole life had been changed. Imagine being 16 or 17 and spending several days and nights in jail because you are falsely accused of a crime.
These situations are simply beyond my experience. I can’t possibly put myself in the shoes of my Black brothers and sisters.
Jesus’s Radical Love vs. Hughes’s Vision of Colorblindness
In The End of Race Politics, Coleman Hughes argues that a colorblind society—one where race is not considered in policy or public life—is the best way forward for America. He believes that race-conscious policies, while well-intended, ultimately reinforce division rather than unity. His vision aligns with the idea that consciously disregarding racial differences will lead to a more just and equitable society.
Hughes’s argument affirms what I believe and pray for. Race has often been used as a justification for discrimination, and in a truly just world, it should be irrelevant to how we treat one another.
But the challenge is that we do not yet live in that world. The question, then, is whether ignoring race in the present moment helps us reach that goal—or whether it risks reinforcing existing inequities.
Jesus acknowledged differences and actively worked to break down racial and social barriers. In His interaction with the Samaritan woman at the well, He directly engaged her cultural identity rather than dismissing it. The parable of the Good Samaritan explicitly challenged Jewish ethnocentrism, showing that true righteousness transcends racial and national lines. And He honored the faith of the Roman centurion who asked Jesus to heal his servant: “Truly I tell you, not even in Israel have I seen such faith” (Matthew 8:10).
Jesus’ message was not about pretending differences didn’t exist—it was about reconciliation, healing, and justice.
Lisa Sharon Harper, in The Very Good Gospel, describes how Pentecost offers a vision of unity that is fundamentally different from both racial division and colorblindness. She writes:
God did not unite the world under one imperial language. Rather, the power of God made it possible to have unity in the midst of diversity. God made it possible for people to speak languages that were not their own and to understand one another. [1]
Rather than flattening cultural and ethnic distinctions, the early Church celebrated them while forging a community of radical belonging. This is an important distinction: biblical unity is not erasure—it is reconciliation.
Hughes warns that an overemphasis on racial categories can create new divisions, and he has a point. But Harper reminds us that true gospel witness requires reckoning with injustice, not ignoring it:
Witness demands that men and women live according to Paul’s charge in Galatians 3 to dismantle the implicit and explicit biases and structures that undergird oppression… Credible witness requires the church to call the nations to account for the human impacts on climate change and to change course… and to call for global policy that refuses to seek the wellness of self at the expense of other nations. [2]
Hughes critiques DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) initiatives as counterproductive, arguing that they reinforce racial thinking rather than eliminating it. But if DEI efforts are being dismantled without alternative paths to equity—as we see happening today—does that truly move us toward justice? Jesus’s own ministry suggests that active efforts to uplift the marginalized are not about sowing division but about restoring dignity.
The question for Christians today is not simply whether colorblindness is a worthy goal—it is. The deeper question is: How do we reach that goal? Do we prematurely declare race irrelevant when disparities still persist? Or do we follow Jesus’ radical example, pursuing a reconciliation that both acknowledges injustice and points toward the kingdom of God?
The Church’s Responsibility and the DEI Backlash
While Hughes argues that race-conscious policies create more division, the reality is that dismantling racial justice efforts has had real consequences. The current administration’s systematic elimination of DEI initiatives and mass firings of women and minorities signal a dangerous shift. Whether or not one agrees with specific DEI policies, the broader message is clear: racial and gender equity are no longer a priority. For Christians, this raises a deeper question: How should the Church respond?
Coleman Hughes warns against what he calls neoracism—a modern form of racial categorization that insists on sharp racial classifications as a prerequisite for justice. He argues that taking race less seriously, rather than enforcing new rules about identity, is the true path to equality:
The aim of color blindness is to consciously disregard race as a reason to treat individuals differently and as a category on which to base public policy. [3]
This vision of colorblindness resonates with Martin Luther King Jr.’s dream of a world where people are judged not by the color of their skin but by the content of their character. It speaks to a future where race is no longer a dividing line in society but instead a non-factor in how we perceive and treat one another.
Hughes is right to say that racial stereotypes reduce individuals to mere representatives of their group, creating resentment and division: “Being stereotyped can feel like being accused of a crime that you know you didn’t commit.” 4]
And yet, as Howard Thurman reminds us in Jesus and the Disinherited, Jesus did not preach a vision of justice that ignored the lived realities of oppression. Rather, He spoke directly to those who suffered under systemic injustice, offering them hope and a new way of being:
Living in a climate of deep insecurity, Jesus, faced with so narrow a margin of civil guarantees, had to find some other basis upon which to establish a sense of well-being… Deep from within that order he projected a dream, the logic of which would give to all the needful security. There would be room for all, and no man would be a threat to his brother. [5]
The tension we face today is this: Hughes’s vision of colorblindness is noble, but are we truly ready for it? History shows that when race-conscious policies are abandoned, the disparities remain.
Using the metaphor of a boat “languidly floating down the river of racism,” Jemar Tisby writes in The Color of Compromise, the Church has often been more than just complicit in racism—it has actively contributed to it: “In reality, white Christians have often been the current, whipping racism into waves of conflict that rock and divide the people of God.” [6]
Jesus’ ministry suggests a middle way. He neither ignored oppression nor reduced people to racial categories. He saw the unique struggles of the marginalized and called for transformation—not just of individuals but of society itself.
Perhaps the question we must ask as Christians is not should we be colorblind? but rather how do we move toward a future where colorblindness is possible—without ignoring the present injustices that prevent us from getting there?
The Path Forward: Attachment, Transformation, and True Neighbor-Love
If Hughes is right that the long-term goal is a society where race does not dictate how we treat one another, then we must ask: How do we get there? How do we overcome centuries of racial division in a way that truly reflects the heart of Christ?
The answer lies not just in policies or intellectual debates but in something far deeper—our attachments. Neuroscience shows that our brains are wired for relational connection, and true transformation happens through relationships, not just willpower. As Jim Wilder and Michel Hendricks write in The Other Half of Church:
Our brains draw life from our strongest relational attachments to grow our character and develop our identity. Who we love shapes who we are. Character formation is the central task of the church. [7]
Jesus understood this. His command to love our neighbor was not merely an ethical principle but a call to form deep, life-giving attachments across racial, social, and economic divides. The image of the vine and branches in John 15 reflects the hesed love that binds us together—a love that is stronger than emotion and deeper than willful control:
Attachment is the strongest force in the human brain… It produces an enduring care for the well-being of another. Attachment is a life-giving, forever bond with no mechanism in the brain to unglue us. [8]
If our goal is to live in a world where race is no longer a source of division, we must first cultivate deep, Christ-centered attachments across racial lines. This is not easy in a society where racial proximity is often hard to come by and where weak attachments—shallow relationships, fleeting commitments, and transactional interactions—are the norm. As Wilder and Hendricks warn:
If the church follows the trends in our culture, weak attachments become normal. Creating a spiritual family is not a value or necessity… When we do not create a spiritual family with strong attachments, we cut off the flow of transformational power. [9]
This is where the Church must lead. It must reject both racial hostility and superficial solutions that ignore real injustices. Instead, it must be the place where deep relationships—formed in the love of Christ—heal the wounds of history and pave the way for the future Hughes envisions.
Seeing, Loving, and Becoming
Jesus calls us to see one another, to love one another, and in doing so, to become a people who reflect His kingdom. Hughes is right that the ultimate goal is a world where race no longer determines our treatment of one another. But Thurman, Tisby, and Harper remind us that we are not there yet. Ignoring race too soon risks deepening wounds rather than healing them.
So, what does it mean to love our neighbor in this moment? It means recognizing injustice without being defined by it. It means pursuing justice without resentment. It means rejecting racial stereotypes without ignoring the lived experiences of racial minorities. And above all, it means forming attachments that reflect the love of Christ—a love that binds us together, not just in theory but in practice.
When I think back to the stories my friends shared over dinner that night—the prom night interrupted by police, the son dragged from his classroom on false charges—I realize that the world Hughes envisions, where race is no longer a factor in how we are treated, is not yet here.
I want that world. But wanting it is not enough. Love requires action. The road to true neighbor-love is not paved with avoidance but with engagement, with the hard work of reconciliation, justice, and building relationships that heal rather than divide.
Hughes reminds us that race is a social construct. But if it is a construct, then perhaps our task is not just to deconstruct it, but to build something greater in its place.
A Church where hesed love runs deep.
A society where true neighbor-love is possible.
A future where we see only one face—the face of Christ in one another.
1 – Lisa Sharon Harper, The Very Good Gospel; How Everything Wrong Can Be Made Right (New York: Waterbrook, 2016), 183.
2 – Harper, 192.
3 – Coleman Hughes, The End of Race Politics; Arguments for a Colorblind America (New York: Thesis, 2024), 20.
4 – Hughes, 21.
5 – Howard Thurman, Jesus and the Disinherited (Boston: Beacon Press, 1976) 24.
6 – Jemar Tisby, The Color of Compromise; The Truth About the American Church’s Complicity in Racism (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan, 2019), 17.
7 – Jim Wilder and Michel Hendricks, The Other Half of Church; Christian Community, Brain Science, and Overcoming Spiritual Stagnation (Chicago: Moody Publishers, 2020), 79.
8 – Wilder, Hendricks, 81.
9 – Wilder, Hendricks 91.
About the Author
Debbie Owen
Deborah C. Owen is an experienced spiritual director, Neuro-based Enneagram executive and life coach, disciple maker, professional writer, senior librarian, and long-time church Music Director and lay leader. She has earned the award of National Board Certification for teaching excellence, and a podcasting award, and is pursuing a Doctor of Leadership degree through Portland Seminary at George Fox University. She lives in the backwoods of Maine with her husband and flat-coated retriever. She spends as much time as she can with their 3 grown children, daughter-in-law, and 2 small grandchildren. Find her online at InsideOutMinistries.info.4 responses to “The Colorblind Kingdom: Justice, Jesus, and the Road to True Reconciliation”
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Hi Debbie,
In your opinion, how do you reconcile Coleman Hughes’ vision of colorblindness with Jesus’ approach of actively acknowledging and addressing racial and social differences?
Hi Debbie, There is no question that I agree with much of what you wrote. We do need commitment to follow the ways of Jesus and be in relationships to move away from racism. When I read Hughes, I did not see him moving to colorblindness with doing nothing else though. He talked about investing in people who have been on the margins – example – invest in education so that individuals who would qualify for affirmative action admissions would not need it because their education prepared them to compete at a very high level. You are right, Debbie, the playing field is not level. Do you see that any portion of what he suggests regarding colorblindness, such as in redacting names from resumes would be a start. Again, I know it doesn’t mean the prejudice wouldn’t kick in during an interview. But do you think that kind of thing might be useful to begin, while NOT stripping away all the undergirding that is currently (at least for now) present?
Thank you, Debbie, for your post. One thing that resonates with me as I read your post was the thought s of DEI. While I do not have the full understanding of, I was affected by it. I used to be a construction worker/carpenter. I got to the position because of I am a minority (DEI), and not because of my qualifications. This is in the eye of the company. Majority (95%) of my co-workers were not from minority group (whites) that most of them worked their way up the rank through time spend at the company. I was hired because I was an apprentice; I went through 2 different apprentices’ program to maintain a paycheck regardless of educational background in Engineering Technology (Civil and Architectural Engineering). My point: Not all the time DEI works, especially for minority. DEI, I believe is there for the benefits of the employers. Thank you again, Debbie. Your post is always insightful.
Hi Debbie, I deeply resonated with your profound statement: ‘If our goal is to live in a world where race is no longer a source of division, we must first cultivate deep, Christ-centered attachments across racial lines. This is not easy in a society where racial proximity is often hard to come by and where weak attachments—shallow relationships, fleeting commitments, and transactional interactions—are the norm.’ This is such an important point! Knowing that you live in a racially homogeneous area, I’m curious how you navigate the challenge of building meaningful relationships across racial lines in your context? Your experience at Renovaré was truly impactful.