Phillis Wheatley, the first published African American poet, used biblical themes to persuade believers in Jesus to abolish slavery. Born around 1753 in western Africa, Wheatley was sold to a slave trader at only seven years of age. Quicky distinguishing herself as a remarkable student, she finally secured her emancipation in 1773. In her poems and correspondence, Wheatley pressed her readers to embrace the Scriptural affirmation of the equality of all people. She wrote, “In every human Breast, God has implanted a Principle, which we call Love of Freedom; It is impatient of Oppression, and pants for Deliverance; and . . . the same Principle lives in us.”
Equality before God is a truth emphasized by Paul when he wrote, “There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ” (Galatians 3:28). Because we’re “all children of God through faith” (v. 26), differences such as race, ethnicity, gender, or social status shouldn’t lead to discrimination in the church.
Even as equal recipients of God’s love, we still struggle to live out this principle. But Scripture teaches that diverse peoples united through faith in Christ best reflects God’s heart and is His plan for life in eternity. That reality can help us to celebrate the diversity in our communities of faith now.
