The natural vs. the intentional
Is there someone you know who doesn’t see the need to be ethnically diverse in the local church? They prefer calling someone their “brother in Christ” or “sister in Christ” rather than saying “Asian brother in Christ” or “Black sister in Christ.”
In some situations this person already has a diverse group of friends. Sometimes this person is already living a life where they’re learning from a wide variety of cultures.
Other times this person is tired of what being multicultural or diverse means and really just wants to BE. You know what I mean?
I know when I try to meet some of my friends who are multicultural worship leaders they encourage me to just BE. There are no expectations for me to be something I’m and there’s an appreciation for who I am. There’s space for me to take time out for myself to build up social energy. There’s space for me to share my thoughts and heart without being judged. There’s space for me to be creative, grow, and encourage others.
I believe that this is part of what we desire the multicultural church to be. I think here in the beginning stages we have to be really intentional about diversity and honoring different parts of the Body of Christ. Later on, I pray, in my son’s generation it’ll be totally normal to be in a church where diversity, generations, gender, gifts, etc. is not only recognized, but embraced so that we can BE the Body of Christ. But even then, when it feels more natural, we must be intentional.
Question for you
Do you have a desire to BE? Does your church have a desire to BE?
Scripture passages to consider as you meditate on those questions
The human body has many parts, but the many parts make up one whole body. So it is with the body of Christ. Some of us are Jews, some are Gentiles, some are slaves, and some are free. But we have all been baptized into one body by one Spirit, and we all share the same Spirit. Yes, the body has many different parts, not just one part.
1 Corinthians 12:12-14
There is no longer Jew or Gentile, slave or free, male and female. For you are all one in Christ Jesus.
Galatians 3:28
© 2012, Peter Park. All rights reserved.
A tradition of tolerance?
I was flipping through the channel and came across an old movie with Sarah Jessica Parker called Spinning Into Butter. The plot of the movie is a hate crime is committed on campus and Sarah Jessica Parker’s character, the school’s dean, is forced to address her own issues about race and prejudice.
Now, I only caught part of the movie, so I can’t say if it was good or not. But the scene I did see was one of the people on staff addressing the student body, after the incident, and saying that the school has had a long tradition of tolerance.
This is what caused me to pause and think. I thought to myself, “Who wants to be tolerated, seriously?”
Being part of any church, especially a multicultural church, there’s going to be conflict, people you don’t necessarily like being around, and people who are vastly different from you. But we are NOT called to tolerate one another.
Imagine for a second if Christ merely tolerated us? He would have more reason than anybody to tolerate people, but that’s not what he demonstrated for us.
Sure, he corrected the many religiousness of his day. But he also cared for people, valued them, and loved them.
If we’re to move forward with this vision, handed to us by God, to be a diverse Body of Christ, then we are to love one another.
I want to direct our attention to John 13:34-35, which teaches us:
So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples. (NLT)
Ta ban cho các ngươi một điều răn mới, nghĩa là các ngươi phải yêu nhau; như ta đã yêu các ngươi thể nào, thì các ngươi cũng hãy yêu nhau thể ấy. Nếu các ngươi yêu nhau, thì ấy là tại điều đó mà thiên hạ sẽ nhận biết các ngươi là môn đồ ta. (1934 Vietnamese Bible)
Questions for you
How do you feel about tolerance? Is this how we should feel toward one another at church? What are some practical ways we can love one another? Maybe spending time getting to know one another?
© 2012, Peter Park. All rights reserved.
I tend to talk to the same people
Something I’ve noticed about myself recently is that I’ve been talking to the same people at church every Sunday. I can probably count on my hand who I talk to every week, which is kind of sad because we’re a small church.
I think what’s happened is that I’ve unintentionally developed a routine of going through the same motions on Sunday with getting the team ready, having our church service, and getting our family in the car. My natural tendency to be efficient has caused me to neglect some important relationships.
I want to be intentional about meeting with other people’s families over a meal with my family. I want to be intentional about getting to know some of our older members in our church and take them to lunch.
Questions for you
Have you gotten into a routine of talking to the same people on Sundays? Why is it important that we break out of those routines to be intentional about getting to know other people in our congregation? How would that help develop trust as it relates to your leadership? How does that help us be a more unified in the diverse Body of Christ?
© 2012, Peter Park. All rights reserved.