If you have enjoyed the devotionals posted here in the past, they will still be available on my church website http://brownstownchristian.org where you will find the devotional hyperlink on the home page. I am now devoting by blog to a broader discussion of the church and relevant faith issues. I believe this will serve one of my passions and a service to the web community. You are invited to join me in my exploration of the church in today’s world and comment on what is posted. I am looking for more dialogue than before and welcome you comments.
The Associated Press posted the following article yesterday about the impact of the church on racial relations in our nation.
Jesse McGee, a black man, points to trophies he won in local marathons. He mentions his work with youth and volunteer school programs. He praises his church’s efforts to deliver scripture lessons to inmates.
For more than an hour, the 84-year-old church deacon, who is black, chats about his life, largely ignoring the subject at hand: racism.
It isn’t until his wife, Warine, sheepishly shares that their son’s wife is white that McGee offers a confession: He had been uncomfortable with the union for nearly 30 years — until his Bible study class offered enlightenment.
His story represents a snapshot of how America’s racial landscape is navigated daily, often with religion as guidance.
The issue of race drew sharp focus as Barack Obama’s contentious split with his longtime pastor, Rev. Jeremiah Wright, played out in a national glare. In response, the United Church of Christ and National Council of Churches USA called on 10,000 ministers to initiate a "sacred conversation on race."
"The realities of race have not been addressed adequately," says the Rev. John Thomas, president of the UCC. "Racism continues to demean and diminish human lives in this country."
I find that the world and to often the church is ruled by conventional wisdom. By conventional wisdom, I used the definition ‘most convenient wisdom’. We address the issues of our lives by the wisdom that is most convenient and least uncomfortable.
I pastor a church that is almost completely white in its makeup. For years, the largest minority in our town was native American. That changed recently with the growth of the Hispanic population. While our community has been generally accepting of these changing demographics, I am disturbed by the recent incidents of groups coming into the community to stir up dissension and bigotry on both sides.
What assimilation might have occurred naturally is now being pressured by those who want to take sides. I wonder how the church here in Jackson county will address these issues. The most convenient wisdom is to ‘live and let live’. With national politics and local demographics disrupting that convenient wisdom, the churches will need to address what Christ would expect of us.
- Does the church have a role in addressing racial relationships? If so, what?
- What role should the church take toward immigration, legal or illegal?
- As a Christian, can your position legitimately differ from the churches?
I look forward to hearing some of your perspectives. Leave a comment on my guest book or email me directly. Join me on this journey.
Intentional Faith 