America continues to search for the answer to racism. Though most don’t know it, the answer America searches for is the gospel.

Racism is both sin and the result of sin. Genesis 11 recounts the beginning of diversity. In verse 1 we read, “Now the whole earth had one language and the same words.” This tells us not only that everyone spoke the same language, but that they shared a common culture. Sadly, this unity was not to last. Through this shared language mankind devises a plan to build the Tower of Babel. To graciously slow the spread of sin, the Lord confuses their languages and drives them apart (Genesis 11:7,8). This linguistic and geographic separation gives birth to diversity.

But this is not the end of the story. God’s gospel includes a plan to reunite now divided peoples. On the day of Pentecost, the Apostles received a remarkable gift. They were able to speak the gospel in the languages of all the people gathered in Jerusalem (Acts 2:4-6). This is God overcoming the confused languages of Genesis 11. It shows God desires to create one people out of the folks from every tribe, tongue and nation.

Hence the language of Revelation 7:9-10, “After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!” Here we have a multitude of people, comprised of people from every tribe and people, all singing together the same song, with a loud voice! Certainly this is the anti-Babel. Instead of one people being driven apart, they are brought together to form one people. Instead of one language becoming many, many languages become one.

This happens through the gospel. Paul writes in Galatians 3:28, “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” Galatians teaches us the gospel is for everyone—Jew, Greek, Slave, Free, Male, Female, so on and so forth. When we come to Christ we all come the same way, and having come to Christ we are now united in a new kingdom, a new people. To borrow from Dr. King, in the kingdom of heaven no one is judged by the color of his skin.

What does this mean for us? It means that the Church holds the only, viable answer for the problems of prejudice and racism. The answer is disciplemaking ministry. As the church engages the world with the gospel and teaches the world to follow Christ completely, we build a community that is truly post-racial. In the end, the world should look at the church and see the kind of community for which they long.

Certainly this is no short-term answer. Lasting gospel transformation occurs over time as we first come to faith in Christ and then learn to live according to the gospel teaching. While it may not be a quick fix, the gospel is the only, real answer to the sin of racism.