In my post yesterday, I started by saying I feel silly posting about racism. But after writing my last post, I started thinking of other examples of how racism shows up in the church...
And also examples of how scripture teaches us to fight racism.
Last December, my church decided to call a full-time Spanish-speaking pastor to start a Hispanic ministry in our community.
There seemed to be a lot of excitement surrounding the decision but also some fear. I had a sincere conversation with one of our elders who felt hesitation over how the church would respond to potential new members who were in the States without required documentation. A few months later, I heard about another member of the congregation who leaves the sanctuary when our worship director begins leading us in Spanish praises.
I primarily default to the following question: Of which kingdom am I a citizen? The kingdom of America? Or the Kingdom of Heaven?
When church authorities asked Jesus about paying taxes he responded in wisdom, "Render Caesar what is Caesar's." Then he moved on.
After the triumphal entry, Jesus grieved those who thought he had come for political revolution.
The same political revolution that Luke purposefully denies in his gospel and the book of Acts.
On Pentecost, the Holy Spirit moves the disciples to speak in numerous tongues--allowing the gospel to be understood by those whose earthly citizenship spanned the Middle East.
First Century Rome seems like a pretty ideal setting for Jesus to make a nationalistic statement...a final vindication for the Jews.
But he doesn't. Instead he makes this statement, "The kingdom of heaven is like a net that was let down into the lake and caught all kinds of fish."
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