ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS
January 12, 2023
I opened my copy of Christianity Today (magazine) that arrived a couple of days ago. The first article I read was entitled: Honoring God’s Multiethnic Plan. And the article’s first sentence read:
According to a 2018 survey by the Public Religion Research Institute, ‘A majority (54%) of white evangelical Protestants say that becoming a majority-nonwhite nation in the future will be mostly negative.’
It seems so strange to me that those who claim to believe God is the designer behind the grand diversity of creation and that God loves immeasurably every aspect of that creation, including every color, nationality, and ethnicity on the planet, actually live something very different. Many people seem to look at the breath-taking diversity within the human race and offer a less than enthusiastic acknowledgement, adding, “Not in my backyard.”
Nonetheless, almost every sacred moment in scripture contains an oddly wonderful mix of people. Think about the Magi from the East visiting the Christ Child -or- the Day of Pentecost where representatives from every nation suddenly had a Spirit-filled experience together -or- the words of the prophets who spoke of a day when all nations would stream to the Mountain of God -or- Abraham and Sarah being sent forth on an unknown journey, one in which they would be blessed so they could be a blessing to all nations -or- the Apostle Paul writing to the Philippians about the dreamed-of day in the future when every knee would bend and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.
The sacred movement of the Divine seems to be about the task of drawing upon the beautiful diversity of humanity, finding a way of connecting it all, and then creating something new and glorious. The unexpected shows up, and God does something never previously imagined. If it had only been a boring and homogenous group, I don’t believe the result would have had much impact on the world.
With all that said, it does seem a bit strange how some followers of Jesus, mostly white folks, seem to get all freaked out about anything that hints at a change in how things have always been.
God, I want to be a part of whatever new thing you are doing, even if it requires me to give up some of the power and privilege I have enjoyed. If I trust you, something rather spectacular might come of it. Amen.
