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His Name Is
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Dealing with Feelings
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Grace Church
257 Kendall Street
Burlington, WI 53105

(262) 763-3021

Email:
Pastor Scott Carson

Secretary Patti Hall

PASTOR'S PENS 2002

Grace Church of Burlington February 24, 2002 "In this secular-dominated age, Christians have a unique responsibility to remind society that racism as well as the other moral problems we face will not be solved without the spiritual dimension."           Ethicist Richard Land             This is the last Sunday of Black History month. While I’m not certain we actually need a Black History month or even a national holiday in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., the fact is that we do. And perhaps I would be much more passionate about these things if my ancestors had been enslaved or if my parents had not been allowed to eat in certain restaurants, stay in certain motels, or attend certain schools. If my grandparents had constantly feared being assaulted or possibly lynched, I know that I’d have stronger feelings about a Black History month.             And it also concerns me that we are headed in the wrong direction for a strong nation when we focus on our diversity rather than our commonalities. A powerful country is built by focusing on unity while still appreciating diversity. Thus, I believe it is unwise for our government to discourage immigrants from learning English. Language/communication are foundational for a strong nationalism. Obviously good people can and will differ on these matters.             Godly people though cannot differ on the matter of prejudice. Prejudice and bigotry are sin. They are repugnant to the God Who gave His Son to die for all people and people groups. It is disheartening, too, how we can so quickly jettison or just blunt great Biblical truths with their practical, life-changing power because of our personal agendas and prejudices.             Prejudice causes us to obscure the wonderful truth that God’s eternal purpose in redemption was to rescue people from every tribe, tongue, people and nation from sin. Revelation 5:9 records for us, "And they sang a new song: ‘You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because You were slain, and with Your blood You purchased men for God from every tribe and language and people and nation’." If we accept this, that this purchase of a people from every tribe is intentional, purposeful, and designed by God, then we must also acknowledge that God's pursuit of racial diversity in His Church came at an infinite cost. The implications then for racial diversity and racial harmony in the Church are huge.                                     God desires to have a regenerate people not just from white or black or red or yellow ethnic groups but from ALL ethnic groups, all shades and all shapes. This is underlined by four key words in Rev. 5:9, "people, tribe, language and nation [ethnos]." This covers the whole range of ethnic diversity in the world. God’s purpose in redemption is to have a people who are very diverse. And this truth has powerful ramifications for the Church. Statistics indicate though that the Church in America is predominately Caucasian. The "white" Church needs to ask some tough and heart searching questions: Since God gave His Son to die for all people, how can a true believer have animosity or prejudice, particularly if it is based on someone’s ethnicity? Would the God who paid the ultimate price be pleased at such feelings? Would He be pleased with an ethnic joke or slur? Isn’t it blatant hypocrisy for us to send missionaries to Africa or Mexico, and yet not welcome those same people groups into our church? What does it say about my values or understanding of Scripture if I would be more upset if my child dated/married someone from another ethnic group than if they dated/married an unbeliever? The kind of divisions, hostilities, prejudice, mistreatment, ridicule and suspicion which still exists in the Church among the races is unthinkable in view of what Christ has done and what Scripture teaches. It is wrong for me to have a "those people" category in my heart. Wonderfully, Jesus Christ died and paid for all sin, even the sin of prejudice. But He also expects us to repent of known sin. Friend, do you need to repent of the sin of prejudice?