Reflection on the 'Color' of Grace

“Color” is a defining factor in the construction of the false theory of race, a concept that has been debunked by years of research as reported by the American Anthropological Association in its projects noted in RACE: Are We So Different? (1) and as the APA stated in its definition of racism. Pairing the concept of “color” with grace (particularly God’s grace) locates our ministry in a sphere that calls up the prime divider in this context —color— as well the prime unifier —Divine grace— into the conversational circle of reckoning.

In this context, Grace is understood to be both color full and color free, in the same way that the waters of the ocean are clear, yet reflect the colors around or in it. The same water that may appear to be gold/yellow/rust/black because of the shoreline sand, may appear green as you move farther into the deep. A possible blue tint may be projected to our vision; and in the deeper places a dark and mysterious display suggests the great depth to which we have come. But, when you pull up a glass, the water is still the same clear liquid as at the shore.

One important dimension of anti-racism ministry is a movement against the overt as well as subtle use of the color of a person’s skin along with other biological features to define, denigrate, designate, and dismiss people on the one hand, while elevating another color for the opposite reasons. Both of these measures are inaccurate and out of balance. (2) Thinking about color in the way that the ocean reflects it provides a truer way to relate to color. We have been programmed, whether conscious of it or not, to see the color of one’s skin and assign meaning to it. We've been taught to use color within a human-made hierarchy called race that we must un-learn. Understanding color as it relates to the ocean frees us to think about color in the way God intended it—as a God-made reflection.

Color of Grace LLC rests its theological framework in opposition to racism on a belief in the grace of a Creator God who made all in the image of God. Each variance of human physiology is a reflection of God as the water of the ocean reflects what it beholds. In the image of God, all are one; all sacred; all God’s by design. We can let our old way of thinking about color—the human-made sin of assigning arbitrary value to one skin shade—float away. This ocean-inspired way of understanding color is healing. We can find grace in knowing that skin color is just one of the ways that we, as creations of God, reflect God’s beauty. 

Color of Grace LLC turns the label “people of color” toward the Creator whose reflection we are. Our purpose in this work is to help each other to turn our “color allergies” into sacred reminders that we are a reflection of God to our neighbors, to the world around us. We therefore infer that that reflection properly embodies respect, dignity, inclusion, love in attitude and action. Together we are like God’s ocean, always turning, sometimes turbulent, some places too deep for sunlight to penetrate, but still and always bearing the capacity to reflect the richness and depth of Divine love and grace.

(1) RACE: Are We So Different? ©2020, American Anthropological Association

(2) https://www.apa.org/topics/racism-bias-discrimination