Fingerprints

This week many congregations in the United Church of Christ are starting a sacred conversation about race. Here's this week's Bible study blog entry for i.ucc that starts the process from the story of creation from Genesis 1:1-2:4a:


Fingers have fingerprints.

Every fingerprint is unique.

Even identical twins – who have the same DNA, have different fingerprints.

Families and close relatives can have similar fingerprints, but they are still not identical.

Human beings, in many ways, have similar fingerprints – with similar looking whorls, loop or arches.

As far as I know, even though we may recognize the diversity of our fingerprints and even celebrate their uniqueness, we don’t use fingerprints to isolate or marginalize anyone.

All of humanity share marked similarities in gross anatomy, and at the same time we have many differences.

We have different eye colors, body shapes, hair color and skin color.

And we have used all of those to isolate, marginalize people.

What is it that made human beings think that diversity of things like fingerprints are something to notice and to celebrate as unique while things like skin color are things to separate and to marginalize?

This week’s reading from Genesis 1:1 – 2:4a tells of a creation where God (literally Gods), as part of the creation of the world, create human beings and say that they are good.

God’s fingerprints (OK – I’m using it metaphorically) are all over humankind – every single person.

I think that any attempt, desire or plan to isolate or marginalize a person or group of people based on something like the color of their skin runs contrary to the whole concept of God’s creation.

What are your thoughts?