Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton politicize race. Jeremiah Wright offers up a race-based theology. Creflo Dollar and T.D. Jakes promote a prosperity gospel. It is sad to see African-American Christians stereotyped by these so-called "leaders" in the black community. What's even sadder is that believers end up divided along ethnic lines.
Thankfully, there are ministries that are reaching out and bringing healing to the body of Christ:
You can find out more about Mission to North America at
PCA-MNA.org.
Someone help me please. I love the idea of Christians from all ethnic groups and shades of skin color gathered together to worship the Lord. I love the idea of people from every skin color repenting from the sin of racial prejudice and hatred.
ReplyDeletePerhaps I am just an obsolete, middle-aged man, but I do not understand race-based appeals, especially Christian ones. "We must reach out to people of xxxx skin color." Help me understand please. Are those of any one skin color more valuable than others? We should seek people from THIS skin color to intern in our church, and by implication people of THAT skin color are less desirable.
Someone help me please. When is race-based behavior good and when is it evil? To prefer anyone based upon skin color is to be biased against another -- isn't it?
Bill in St. Louis
One could raise the same questions about becoming a missionary. Is one country more valuable than another? If someone chooses to go to China instead of India, are they ignoring the call to go into all the world?
ReplyDeleteYes, I would agree that preference based on skin color is wrong when it comes to the gospel. But I think what we are seeing here has to do with how our society has evolved. In many ways, we have been conditioned to group people according to skin color. I think this is great remedy for that.
The problem I see here in the rural south is that churches are still almost completely segregated. I loved Thabiti's challenge to Christians of all color - to see each other as one unified body. We are unified in Adam and in Christ.
ReplyDeleteThere are still those fundamentalists who feel the need to justify segregation and racism, even from the pulpit. I have heard it, sadly, and I am young. (I have NOT heard it in my current church, by the way.)
We do have to address race issues because they are there. Racist ideas are a part of a sinful, fallen nature. As sin it affects the individual and the church, and so to ignore it is wrong.
It's good to spread the gospel to all nations, yes, but you must understand that we also need to respect cultural differences. Jesus commanded us to make disciples of all the nations, not to make a nation of all the disciples!
ReplyDeleteIt depends on what you mean by "nation". I don't believe we should push for a literal Christian nation such as the one many theonomists envision, but 1 Peter 2:9 does say that we are "a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession." Christ is the one unifying factor that binds us together across all geographic, ethnic, and cultural boundaries.
ReplyDeleteI am one of a couple of white people who are members of a 98% black church and I do know that the sigma of the past is deeply imbedded in the minds of the black people of america. There are exceptions to the rule of course. My pastor is a true pastor and demands the truth of God in his life.
ReplyDeleteBut I find extreme suspicion of my color and find all I do is questionable in their minds. I will continue to demonstrate by my life and walk the life of Christ to them.
I answer to God and not the spiritually immature. Besides, I have learned a lot about the black race where I live and they are a very loving people to each other in our church.