What Does The Bible Say About Ethnocentrism?

The other day, my wife and I were talking about a black guy I saw at the LA County Fair with a t-shirt that depicted a black Jesus. Underneath the drawing, the t-shirt said, "Hair like Wool, Skin Like Bronze, You Do the Math. Revelation 1: 14-15."

My wife said, "Many Middle Eastern people have hair like wool." And I told her, "Truth is, I don't care what color Jesus was. But, I do love to point out to people that, more than likely, he looked something like Osama Bin Laden, given the area he came from.

Heck, Jesus was even known to wear a turban, if you believe the Prophecies about the Messiah in the Jewish Bible.

Anyway, the conversation turned a bit, and I said to my wife, "Well, you know, Moses' wife was black."

And, my wife said, "No, she was an Israelite. So, I would assume that she too looked like Middle Eastern people."

I replied, "Well, I know I read somewhere that she was black, and I counted the source as being pretty authoritative, but I don't remember it right now."

So today, since I have nothing better to do than to clear the detritus of my mind, I looked it up on one of my favorite Bible answer sites, "Got Questions?" (I link to Got Questions? over at CUANAS, because I sometimes use it as a resource.)

Anyway, here's what Got Questions has to say about Moses' wife, and black people in general in the Bible:

Question: "Are there any black people mentioned in the Bible?"

Answer: The Bible does not specifically identify any person as being black-skinned. The Bible also does not specifically identify any person as being white-skinned. The vast majority of the Bible took place in the Middle East, in and around Israel. Neither "black" nor "white" people are common in these regions. The vast majority of the people in the Bible were "Semitic," light to dark brown in complexion. Ultimately, it does not matter what skin color the people in the Bible were. Skin color is meaningless in the message of the Bible. We all need to take our eyes off of the skin and focus on the soul.

Some scholars guess that Moses’ wife Zipporah might have been black since she was a Cushite (Numbers 12:1). Cush is an ancient name for an area of Africa. Some propose that Bathsheba (2 Samuel 11:3) was black. Some believe that the Queen of Sheba who visited Solomon (1 Kings 10:1) was black. The Ethiopian eunuch in Acts 8:37 may have been a black man. Ethiopians are mentioned around 40 times in the Bible, and the Prophet Jeremiah asked, "Can the Ethiopian change his skin ..." (Jeremiah 13:23). The "Simeon called Niger" in Acts 13:1 may have been black.

The Bible, though, does not specifically say that any of these people were black. Most Bible teachers believe that black people are descendants of Noah’s son Ham (Genesis 10:6-20), but we cannot be sure since the Bible does not specifically say.

It does not surprise me that the Bible does not specifically address the color of the skin of the various characters in it's pages, because it doesn't really matter to the Biblical worldview.

And, on that subject, I thought this was interesting, once again, from "Got Questions?" ...

Question: "What does the Bible say about ethnocentrism?"

Answer:

Ethnocentrism is the belief that a particular race or ethnic group is superior to all others and all other races and ethnic groups are to be subjectively measured in relation to that race or ethnic group. It is a system of belief that leads to extreme pride and lack of concern for others.

Simply put, ethnocentrism is another name for racism, which has been a plague on humanity for centuries and the cause of the death of millions.

There is no place among God’s people for the ethnocentric attitudes which lead to racism. Such attitudes are contrary to Scripture and displeasing to God.

Biblically, ethnocentrism is sin.

All men and women are made in the image of God (Genesis 1:26-27,9:6), although that image is corrupted by sin. It is because we are created in His image that God does not show partiality or favoritism (Deuteronomy 10:17; Acts 10:34).

Jesus did not lay down His life for a particular race of people, but by His death He “purchased men for God from every tribe and language and people and nation” (Revelation 5:9).

The Israelites were ethnocentric by virtue of being God’s chosen people, but His choice was not based on their merit, but on His mercy and grace. The Scriptures tell us that Jesus came to save the world, both Jews and Gentiles. Paul bears this out by saying, “There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus” (Galatians 3:28) and “there is no Greek or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all” (Colossians 3:11).

Jesus destroyed all barriers of race and ethnicity with His death on the cross. As Paul said inEphesians 2:14, “For he himself is our peace, who has made the two one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility.”

Ethnocentrism, whether based on historical grudges or on the erroneous teachings of men, is wholly contrary to God’s Word. We are commanded to love one another as He has loved us (John 13:34), and such a command precludes any discrimination based on race or culture.

Yeah, I'd say that pretty much sums it up. That is the worldview which informs me and upon which I base my positions on whether we ought to ally ourselves with this or that Ethnic Nationalist Political Party.