Red and Yellow, Black and White

"The real question of Christian discipleship is not can I be your brother in Christ, but can I be your brother in law?" Dr. Gabriel Salguero. 

There's no way to address race adequately in a simple blog. I realize I can't cover everything, but I would like to point something out that Dr. Tony Evans helped me see some time ago. Let's begin with this verse; 

"After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands." Revelation 7:9.

This isn't a vision of church, this is eternity. In eternity everyone still has the same ethnicity they had on earth. John, in his Revelation, doesn't see a group of people who all look the same. Everyone is still distinguished by the same traits that distinguished them on earth. When I hear statements like, "There's only one race, the human race," I know we mean well, but there's just one problem...It's not true. I'm in Puerto Rico right now for a few days. I'm a white man who grew up in rural VA. We're different. There's nothing wrong with that. In fact, there's everything right about it, because that's how God made us. I don't have to not see that someone is hispanic, black, or asian, nor do they need to look past my being white. Being different is fine, being divided is not. Thinking I'm better than someone else is evil. Attending church together is fine, but it doesn't really make us united. I went to Wendy's today with people of different ethnicities. There was no unity there. We were simply in the same location. We need to get to know one another's differences, not ignore them. That happens when we sit down and break bread together. When we visit each other at home. When we travel together. I don't have to be like you, but I do need to listen to you. 

I've been fortunate to have had close friends of varying ethnicities in my life. They've helped me to understand things better than I ever could on my own. Relationship is what created the opportunity to share with each other. We feel safe to open up. That takes a little time to develop, but it sure is worth it.

It's said that in order to understand another man's journey you need to walk a mile in his shoes. Unfortunately the shoes of ethnicity aren't interchangeable. I will never know what it's like to be black in America. Yet, this gives me no excuse not to empathize with my fellow man. It certainly gives me no right to make light of another's pain. Unity coupled with diversity will only happen when we walk together. Instead of barking out opinions on social media try listening to your neighbor over a cup of coffee. Don't talk, listen. This is especially needed if you're white. Our people have done most of the talking throughout history. It would serve us well to take our turn to listen.

Jesus said the world would know we were his disciples by our love for one another. Love is revolutionary. In a world filled with hate let's give love a shot. Thanks for listening to me. I'd love to hear from you as well.

Following the Son,

James A Williams