Ferguson - A Reminder That This Isn't the Promised Land
"For he is our peace; in his flesh he has made both groups into one and has broken down the dividing wall, that is, the hostility between us" (Eph 2:14 NRS).
"The road outside my house is paved with good intentions. Hired a construction crew cause it's hell on the engine."
~Fall Out Boy
Do you think Dr. King saw Washington, D.C. on January 20, 2009 when he was standing on the mountain top?
Dr. King's words from April 3, 1968 (the day before he was assassinated) are depressingly relevant 46 years later. You would think we would be a little further along by now.
All this time we've been celebrating our progress. Remember the Titans, 42, American History X, and Glory Road to name just a few movies celebrate the triumph of who we wish we were. Who we could be on our best days.
But this isn't the promised land.
Stephen Colbert jokes racism is over because we have a black president. It is so funny because it sounds like something people would say. In reality, the Obama presidency has unmasked the deep-seated prejudices and demonstrated the powder keg we live on.
At some point, we moved on. We forgot that community building is a demanding work that is never finished. I am as guilty as anyone. Anytime I feel the pull of civic responsibility, I just lie down until it passes.
All of this is uncomfortable.
What is devastating is the state of the church. Next time you step into a church building count the number of people that aren't in your ethnic group. Somewhere along the way we gave up on an ethnically diverse church. Instead of modelling diversity, we find the people just like us. And instead of bridging the hostility, we build the wall a little higher.
Every tribe, tongue, and nation?
An end to the hostility?
This isn't the promised land.
We have a long way to go. Let's not pretend otherwise.
We're in the wilderness.
Please go to the the website below and follow the links to the Race Test. It will only take a few minutes. Theoretically, if we as a society are past race, then most scores should be neutral or no preference. Mine wasn't. I bet yours won't be either.
Implicit Association Test
"The road outside my house is paved with good intentions. Hired a construction crew cause it's hell on the engine."
~Fall Out Boy
Do you think Dr. King saw Washington, D.C. on January 20, 2009 when he was standing on the mountain top?
Dr. King's words from April 3, 1968 (the day before he was assassinated) are depressingly relevant 46 years later. You would think we would be a little further along by now.
All this time we've been celebrating our progress. Remember the Titans, 42, American History X, and Glory Road to name just a few movies celebrate the triumph of who we wish we were. Who we could be on our best days.
But this isn't the promised land.
Stephen Colbert jokes racism is over because we have a black president. It is so funny because it sounds like something people would say. In reality, the Obama presidency has unmasked the deep-seated prejudices and demonstrated the powder keg we live on.
At some point, we moved on. We forgot that community building is a demanding work that is never finished. I am as guilty as anyone. Anytime I feel the pull of civic responsibility, I just lie down until it passes.
All of this is uncomfortable.
What is devastating is the state of the church. Next time you step into a church building count the number of people that aren't in your ethnic group. Somewhere along the way we gave up on an ethnically diverse church. Instead of modelling diversity, we find the people just like us. And instead of bridging the hostility, we build the wall a little higher.
Every tribe, tongue, and nation?
An end to the hostility?
This isn't the promised land.
We have a long way to go. Let's not pretend otherwise.
We're in the wilderness.
Please go to the the website below and follow the links to the Race Test. It will only take a few minutes. Theoretically, if we as a society are past race, then most scores should be neutral or no preference. Mine wasn't. I bet yours won't be either.
Implicit Association Test
Comments
Post a Comment