No, this is not political commentary. You know me better than that. I don’t do politics. I have political opinions just like anyone else; I just don’t let you know much about what they are. It doesn’t matter, but I do want to comment on something close to my heart that is connected to events of today.
Barack Obama made a critical speech yesterday in an attempt to calm the political storm caused by inflammatory remarks made by his pastor of 20 years, Jeremiah Wright. I did not get to listen to Obama’s speech, but I could have confidently told you the reaction ahead of time. Some thought it was brilliant, as good or better than Martin Luther King’s “Dream” speech. Others thought he skirted the real issues, that he compromised without really resolving anything. I get the same reactions each and every Sunday morning! 
I’ll be honest. I really like what little I see of Barack Obama as a person. He is smart, hip, cool, and one of the most eloquent and inspirational speakers you’ll ever hear. Not only that, he gives the impression he would be a heck of a lot of fun just to hang out with! I’m not sure I agree with all his political ideas. I’m not even sure I know enough about his political ideas to know whether I agree or not. Political campaigns aren’t really about ideas, are they?
As Mr. Obama attempted to explain the culture of African-American churches to those Americans not familiar with that culture, I sincerely find it sad that the man who pledged to move America past issues of race suddenly finds himself bogged down in a racial controversy. His bottom line conclusion seemed to be that we need to talk more about these issues.
There is no question that racial issues still exist in our nation. Are there people who are filled with hurt, hatred and bitterness? Of course there are. Should we talk about it? Sure. My question, though, is what should we do about it?
While some white folks like to speak glowingly of all the progress that has been made and how much better things are, their counterparts in the African-American community hold hard to the hurt and shame that no one else can understand. So, what do we do? Close our eyes to reality, smile and pretend the problems don’t exist? Just ignore the whole thing and hang around only with people who look and think like you? Live in hateful coexistence? Have another civil war, kill each other and whoever is left standing gets to make up the rules? Am I missing something here? Any more options?
What about the option of the Bible? Racial tension is nothing new. This is not even a black/white issue. It is a racial issue — the human race, and the fact tribal groups of humans have the propensity to suspect and hate other tribal groups of humans who are not like them.
Here’s what I find amazing. We read the Bible, all of us, red and yellow, black and white, and yet we don’t see one of the main emphases of the Bible that is right in front of our eyes. We see systematic theology, biblical prophecy, precious promises and personally appropriate application of biblical principle. Yet we fail to see or admit that a great part of the Bible is racially charged! I’ve not done an exact verse count, but I would wager that at least half the Bible deals with racial conflict. Let me lay out the racial Bible for you.
- In the beginning man was in a state of innocence. Sin soon entered the human race and people starting hating and killing each other. By Genesis 10 and 11 the human race had divided into 70 distinct groups of people. This was not the purpose of God’s plan.
- In the end of the Bible God shows us how it will look when his plan is accomplished.
After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands. Revelation 7:9
- The bulk of the Bible is about how the human race gets from the hatred and killing in the first part of the Bible to the great multitude of all ethnic, racial and lingual groups standing as one before God that we find in the final part of the Bible.
- The way this happens is that God become man in the person of Jesus Christ, dies for the sin of every human being, raises from the grave and makes it possible for every individual to experience new life from the inside out that totally transforms the way we see life, the world and those who share this existence with us.
Too simplistic? Think about it for a minute. Most of the Old Testament deals with conflict between different ethnic groups. The sons of Noah divided out into 70 tribes of people, and wars consumed the planet. Israel versus other groups of people occupies a major part of the Old Testament. Even the individual tribes of Israel had trouble getting on with each other. Check out the many conflicts between Israel and the Philistines, Ammonites, Moabites, Hammites and all the other “ites.” There is Jonah the bigoted missionary and other such fine examples of humanity.
In the New Testament all four Gospels emphasize the multicultural ministry of Jesus and the prejudices that surfaced. Most people see the book of Romans as a great foundation of systematic theology. Few want to look at the bigger contextual picture and admit that Paul wrote Romans because as many as five distinct groups of believers in Rome from different backgrounds despised each other to the point of not being able to even take the Lord’s Supper together, all the while professing their faith in Christ. Acts, 1 and 2 Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians all share a common focus on the animosity, misunderstanding, stereotyping and other problems that existed between professing Christians who came from different racial, ethnic and lingual backgrounds.
Let’s talk, but I really think we need to take a closer look at the Bible no matter what our ethnic culture may be and see that biblical truth applies equally to us all. No matter what, as followers of Christ we have two great things in common: we are human and we are Christians.
This is what I find so precious and fascinating about what God has been doing in our church and mixing us up to look more like Revelation 7:9 than Genesis 10-11. That God would choose to do this in a Midwestern city noted for racial tension is very special. If we were in New York City, it would be because multiculturalism just happens in New York City. When it happens here it is only because God has done it.
We did not purpose to become a multicultural church. God just did it. Sometimes, I’m not even sure what all that means. I just love the way we look. When events like those of this week come along, it makes me realize even more just how important it is what God is doing.
Is it easy? No. Is it worth it? You bet it is!
Mr. Obama and the Bible No One Wants to See
No, this is not political commentary. You know me better than that. I don’t do politics. I have political opinions just like anyone else; I just don’t let you know much about what they are. It doesn’t matter, but I do want to comment on something close to my heart that is connected to events of today.
I’ll be honest. I really like what little I see of Barack Obama as a person. He is smart, hip, cool, and one of the most eloquent and inspirational speakers you’ll ever hear. Not only that, he gives the impression he would be a heck of a lot of fun just to hang out with! I’m not sure I agree with all his political ideas. I’m not even sure I know enough about his political ideas to know whether I agree or not. Political campaigns aren’t really about ideas, are they?
As Mr. Obama attempted to explain the culture of African-American churches to those Americans not familiar with that culture, I sincerely find it sad that the man who pledged to move America past issues of race suddenly finds himself bogged down in a racial controversy. His bottom line conclusion seemed to be that we need to talk more about these issues.
There is no question that racial issues still exist in our nation. Are there people who are filled with hurt, hatred and bitterness? Of course there are. Should we talk about it? Sure. My question, though, is what should we do about it?
While some white folks like to speak glowingly of all the progress that has been made and how much better things are, their counterparts in the African-American community hold hard to the hurt and shame that no one else can understand. So, what do we do? Close our eyes to reality, smile and pretend the problems don’t exist? Just ignore the whole thing and hang around only with people who look and think like you? Live in hateful coexistence? Have another civil war, kill each other and whoever is left standing gets to make up the rules? Am I missing something here? Any more options?
Here’s what I find amazing. We read the Bible, all of us, red and yellow, black and white, and yet we don’t see one of the main emphases of the Bible that is right in front of our eyes. We see systematic theology, biblical prophecy, precious promises and personally appropriate application of biblical principle. Yet we fail to see or admit that a great part of the Bible is racially charged! I’ve not done an exact verse count, but I would wager that at least half the Bible deals with racial conflict. Let me lay out the racial Bible for you.
Too simplistic? Think about it for a minute. Most of the Old Testament deals with conflict between different ethnic groups. The sons of Noah divided out into 70 tribes of people, and wars consumed the planet. Israel versus other groups of people occupies a major part of the Old Testament. Even the individual tribes of Israel had trouble getting on with each other. Check out the many conflicts between Israel and the Philistines, Ammonites, Moabites, Hammites and all the other “ites.” There is Jonah the bigoted missionary and other such fine examples of humanity.
In the New Testament all four Gospels emphasize the multicultural ministry of Jesus and the prejudices that surfaced. Most people see the book of Romans as a great foundation of systematic theology. Few want to look at the bigger contextual picture and admit that Paul wrote Romans because as many as five distinct groups of believers in Rome from different backgrounds despised each other to the point of not being able to even take the Lord’s Supper together, all the while professing their faith in Christ. Acts, 1 and 2 Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians all share a common focus on the animosity, misunderstanding, stereotyping and other problems that existed between professing Christians who came from different racial, ethnic and lingual backgrounds.
Let’s talk, but I really think we need to take a closer look at the Bible no matter what our ethnic culture may be and see that biblical truth applies equally to us all. No matter what, as followers of Christ we have two great things in common: we are human and we are Christians.
This is what I find so precious and fascinating about what God has been doing in our church and mixing us up to look more like Revelation 7:9 than Genesis 10-11. That God would choose to do this in a Midwestern city noted for racial tension is very special. If we were in New York City, it would be because multiculturalism just happens in New York City. When it happens here it is only because God has done it.
We did not purpose to become a multicultural church. God just did it. Sometimes, I’m not even sure what all that means. I just love the way we look. When events like those of this week come along, it makes me realize even more just how important it is what God is doing.
Is it easy? No. Is it worth it? You bet it is!