By Laura
Race is not an issue that can be ignored, especially not by the Church- the people of God called to make disciples of every nation. In his article “The Color of Faith,” David Van Blema remarks on the gravity of the situation: “In an age of mixed-race malls, mixed-race pop-music charts and, yes, a mixed-race President, the church divide seems increasingly peculiar. It is troubling, even scandalous, that our most intimate public gatherings-and those most safely beyond the law's reach-remain color-coded,” (26). God sends the Church into the world to be His image-bearers, living out the unity, peace, and love that exemplifies life in Christ. In order for the church to begin living out its missional identity, it must realize the ways it has been affected by racial segregation and take a biblical approach to embracing reconciliation and oneness in the body of Christ.
Throughout the New Testament, Jesus came proclaiming that the Kingdom of God is here. We are living in the tension between the redemptive act of Christ on the cross and the reconciliation of all things to God when Jesus comes again and the world is made new. As Christians, we are to live into the present truth of the Kingdom and join in the redemptive work of Christ here and now. In Revelations 7:9-10, we are given a picture of what the body of Christ will look like after the Second Coming when all is made right: “There…was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb,” (NIV).
This is the true picture of the Kingdom of God as it was meant to be- diverse, colorful, and unified. This is the beautiful future that God calls us to live into now. David Campbell, a professor at Notre Dame, advocates, “If tens of millions of Americans start sharing faith across racial boundaries, it could be one of the final steps transcending race as our great divider,” (Van Blema, 27). The Church has a great role to play.
Laura,
Thanks for sharing some of your thoughts on this issue. This is a difficult subject and I find myself forgetting about it frequently. I wonder what moves we can take both within the church and in our living communities to start overcoming these issues. Hope to read more of your thoughts on the subject!
Laura,
I am glad you are writing about this topic. I haven’t really mulled over it before, and I am very curious as to why church is so segregated. Is it related to social class at all? or possibly stigmas from earlier eras? Whatever the reasons, it is important for us to understand why so that we can know how to effectively minister to those who aren’t in church. I’m excited to read more of your thoughts!
I am really glad you are writing on this topic and I’d be interested in reading it when you are done! This segregation is something that I haven’t really given much thought to before but when I think about all the churches I have been to there are rarely more than one or two families of a different race in the church. Maybe part of this is because our communities and neighborhoods are just as segregated and people tend to go to church somewhere relatively close to where they live.
Laura,
I really appreciate your passion for unity in the church, especially when it comes to race. This is such a difficult issue because there is so many years of hurt and segregation. I am hopeful because I know God is working in this area and I am thankful for people who desire to see us celebrate diversity. We learn the most from those who are different from us and challenge our way of thinking. We all have a story to tell and can benefit from all backgrounds. I know it is a slow process, but I have seen some great steps toward celebrating diversity in the past couple of years and my prayer is that the church can be a light in this area and not a hinderance.