Charlottesville may be one of the most recent settings for the display of the poison of hatred and violence, but it certainly is not the first place and, unfortunately, will not be the last. I am no prophet; I am only a student of human nature. Sadly, people feel that, in order to be heard and bring about change, they must shout, agitate, and inflict harm. As a Christian, I stand opposed to violence and hatred. When Christians have taken a stand throughout the centuries, they have chosen to be persecuted, rather than deny their faith and renounce their allegiance to the Savior. But rather than lashing out, they chose to "turn the other cheek." Rather than violently displaying anger, frustration, and disagreement, they willingly suffered at the hands of violent men. Their example should point us in right direction in these days of angry rhetoric and violent protests.

Neither do I wish to deny that certain groups of people have been the recipients of violence, hatred, and prejudice for simply no other reason than their skin color, their national origin, their cultural heritage, their religion or their sex. The sad fact about the human race and our various differences is this: we seem to see differences as deficiencies to be put down, punished, or stamped out rather than as beneficial advantages to be celebrated, appreciated and utilized. In any relationship, if two people are exactly alike, one of them is unnecessary. We cannot lift ourselves up by putting others down. Proclaiming that others are inferior does not prove our supposed superiority. Tearing others down will not make us feel better about ourselves. It is our differences that allow us to be of help to one another; it is our unique abilities that enable us to contribute the most to others; it is our differences that allow us to provide our strength in another's weakness and accept their strength in our weakness, thus enabling us both to be stronger together than alone. It is our differences that challenge us to think from a different perspective, gain a deeper understanding, and garner a new appreciation of those differences.

I do not want you to think that I believe all differences of opinion, ideology and theology are created equal. Some are true while the opposite is not. Some are beneficial while others are destructive. Some are clear while others are ambiguous. When I speak of differences, I do not refer to differences of opinion or thought. I refer to innate differences, differences over which we have no control, differences infused into us by our Creator. We must embrace those differences.

As a Christian who believes the Bible and its explanations of human origins, I want to say more than these things: Racism is wrong! Violence is wrong! Love is our overarching value! I must also say that, according to the Bible, race itself is a wrong way to view humanity and human beings. The Bible only knows one race: the human race. We are all descendants of Adam and Eve. We share their DNA. We come from the same stock. Adam called his wife Eve because she was the mother of all living (Genesis 3:20). Paul's argument in Romans 5:12-21 only makes sense by viewing mankind as a unit where all are affected by the actions of our ancestor Adam.

Acts 17:24-27 The God who made the world and all things in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands; nor is He served by human hands, as though He needed anything, since He Himself gives to all people life and breath and all things; and He made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined their appointed times and the boundaries of their habitation;

I do not presume to think that we do not divide ourselves into various groupings. The Bible acknowledges this when in the book of Revelation we are told about those from every tribe, tongue, people and nation (Revelation 5:9). But one of the goals of God's plan of redemption for the human race is that of breaking down the barriers that divide us. In the Apostle Paul's world humanity was divided into two groups: Jews and Gentiles, but he says that God's plan is to abolish what separates them ("the dividing wall of hostility").

Ephesians 2:14-16 For he himself is our peace, who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, by setting aside in his flesh the law with its commands and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new humanity out of the two, thus making peace, and in one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility.

In the gospel, we find the answer to violence, hatred and bitterness.

2 Corinthians 5:14-21 For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again. So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God. God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

Think of it. When we embrace the gospel, Christ's sacrificial love for us now compels us to love others. As Paul says, the love of God has been poured out into our hearts (Romans 5:5). We no longer live for ourselves. We seek to serve others. We have been reconciled to God and we are now ambassadors of Christ sharing the message of reconciliation. Reconciliation: bringing people to God and bringing people together. This is the opposite of worldly wisdom: earthly, natural, demonic (James 3:15). Earthly wisdom is manifested where jealousy and selfish ambition exist in disorder and every evil thing (James 3:16).

James 3:17-18 But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. Peacemakers who sow in peace reap a harvest of righteousness.

If we embrace the biblical explanation of human origins, we will seek to look past the superficial differences that seem to divide us and seek to embrace our common heritage, our connectedness, our identity as a part of a large family, the human race. If we embrace the gospel, we will embrace the teachings, values and goals of the gospel. As Christians, we will also embrace the privilege of belonging to the family of God, the household of faith, a brotherhood of believers, the church of God. This family is made up of people from every tribe, tongue, people and nation from every generation and will display the beauty and splendid variety of God's glorious kingdom.

Until we Christians view people the way the Bible teaches and until we love them the way God does, we will continue to be a part of the problem rather than a part of the solution.