The Bible teaches that God created all humans in His image. Billionaire and GOP presidential candidate Donald Trump is currently under fire for his recent statements that illegal Mexican immigrants are rapists and criminals—statements that offended both Latinos and non-Latinos.

In the past week, arsonists have burned to the ground several black churches in the South. Perhaps these fires have nothing to do with race. Yet, these crimes along with the racially motivated murder of nine African-American Christians in Charleston, S.C., draw attention to the racism the Confederate flag represents for many African-Americans.

In recent days, African-American Christians from Charleston’s “Mother” Emanuel AME Church have radiantly modeled what it is to experience joyful Christian sorrow in the way they responded to the racially motivated murder of their pastor and eight other parishioners at a Bible study last Wednesday night.

American Christianity is rich with privilege. In addition to what we share with other believers worldwide—being saved by grace through faith apart from works (Ephesians 2:8-9) and Jesus becoming a poor human so that we would become spiritually rich (2 Corinthians 8:9—American Christians enjoy religious freedom.