When a Chinese man walks into an American church and sees people from his culture already present, belonging looks possible. 4:15). A healthy church or organization will always be identifying and removing barriers to biblical forms of influence. Adam represents humanity as our first father (Rom. But there was no one else to help this leader see what she didn’t know—or to help her team evaluate the deeper assumptions keeping their school an ethnocentric community. It offers an overview of some of the difficulties people may face plus practical tips for employers to reduce the risks to their people’s mental health, both in the short- and long-term. She couldn't. Instead, our pursuits should follow the flow of God’s redemptive storyline: his creation design, his Abrahamic promise, his reconciling gospel, his integrated church, his unifying Spirit, and his promise of a new risen humanity, international heirs of a new creation (Gen. 12:3; Ps. Its verbal message was biblical, but its visual message was disturbing: the people doing good were virtually all white, while those who were dirty, desperate, and hurting were all black and brown. The presence of Tamar, Ruth, Bathsheba, and Mary in Jesus’s genealogy is a symbol of God’s equalizing grace that includes abused, foreign, or culturally scandalized women in the messianic line (Matt. That everyone thought it so unbelievable that she could possibly attract a man like him. If the elderly have no voice in our churches, who will let us know when we’ve skewed so contemporary that we’re unhinged from our heritage? An empty-nester recently told me that one of his adult sons said he wouldn’t fit at our church because he has a big beard and tattoos. The apostles admit there’s a problem; they involve the whole church; and the church appoints seven Spirit-filled leaders to expand the care ministry across racial lines (Acts 6:2–3). Jesus is human, like us, but lived righteously. Because of how we’re wired, we consistently portray both ourselves and others in specific ways, whether we realize it or not. Because human beings are God’s image-bearers, we represent his rule in the world (Gen. 1:26–28). When God’s kingdom dawns in Philippi, it liberates a high-end fashion dealer, a demonized slave girl, and a Roman jailer who’s likely a military veteran (Acts 16:11–40). The same Syrian general is later used to illustrate God’s border-crossing grace (Luke 4:27). She was a handful, but not in a cute, festive way. You see the place as someone once imagined it.”, “The loner who looks fabulous is one of the most vulnerable loners of all.”, “Oh, he did look like a deity – the perfect balance of danger and charm, he was at the same time fascinating and inaccessible, distant because of his demonstrated flawlessness, and possessing such strength of character that he was dismaying and at the same time utterly attractive in an enticing and forbidden way.”, “We look at each other with shy relief. We were some of the only non-black believers there (I’m half-Japanese; she’s white). We would’ve been more encouraged if she’d acknowledged the lack of representation and explained how her team would be thoughtful learners and leaders. We were looking for videos to communicate our message, and someone played an example. It's the look two odd socks give when they recognise each other in the wild.”, “Just 'cause there's snow on the roof doesn't mean there's not a fire inside.”, “I've never stopped; I simply forgot that I love you. It shouldn't upset her because it was true. Many testified that through T’Challa, Boseman had represented blackness with nobility and honor, challenging many of the less noble portrayals of blackness in our world. But we also learned what it felt like to be different at church. 4:23–24; 19:13–15). And if I did have any of my own, I kept them quiet, because he wouldn’t have liked them. 96:1–3; Isa. Leaders, Pace Yourself During the Quarantine, Why You Need Sermons That Don’t Directly Apply to You, 7 Invisible Weapons for Effective Ministry. 19:23–25; Rom. He called me his little doll, and he played with me just the way I played with my dolls. Maxime is a father of two, INFJ and also loves running. Because I’ve had to do a lot of soul-searching over the years—a happy and humbling journey of discovery that will continue for the rest of my life. But welcoming someone’s color while sidelining their culture isn’t much of a welcome. And to represent us, he had to “be like his brothers and sisters in every way” (Heb. Esther’s courageous representation in the Persian court keeps her adoptive father from execution and her Jewish people from genocide (Est. I shared my perspective with our team, challenged us toward a more biblical worldview, and urged us to create promotional materials with a variety of people both hurting and helping. “Rachel had decided he WAS handsome during their hike to the camp. Why not give America a spokeswoman who ain't much to look at but is competent as Hell? Does Leviticus 18 Apply to New Testament Believers? You can't see the wear on things, you know? Whether male or female, slave or free, Jew or Greek, rich or poor, civilian or soldier, powerful or powerless, prince or prodigal, every kind of person is represented in the redeemed church of Jesus Christ. Jesus’s ministry to the marginalized shouts a joyful welcome to broken people of all kinds, and his magnetic ministry to children puts the littlest among us front and center (Matt. I was once working with an all-white team on a missions event. 12:41). 3:6; Rev. 1:12–16). Most of me was glad when my mother died. It’s helpful to remember that we’re always representing and being represented. But the most practical reason why that missions video stood out to me is this: four beautiful black faces have a permanent seat at our table, so their perspectives and concerns are permanently represented in our hearts. People are much more complicated than that. The way different kinds of people are portrayed matters, because it shapes both the perception and self-perception of their group. Representation embodies the possibility of belonging, participating, and being included. We can start by initiating conversations and hearing others’ perspectives. The path is rocky, and there are pitfalls. The Jewish Paul then takes on diverse apprentices like Timothy and Titus as he plants racially mixed churches throughout the Gentile world (Acts 16:3; Gal. And to represent us, he had to “be like his brothers and sisters in every way” (Heb. When a pastoral scandal is exposed, I can’t pretend it doesn’t relate to me. 1:1–17). 148:11–13; Dan. 27:54; Luke 19:1–10; John 19:38–42). When we look to Jesus, from incarnation to ascension, we see a full human being. Most important, if our churches and movements and organizations remain homogeneous, how will we make up for all the virtue, knowledge, talent, experience, and vision that our varied brothers and sisters are ready to bring to the table? Maxime is a father of two, INFJ and also loves running. So why did I notice the problem with the video, and why did I care? Or had I been caught up in the moment, maximizing my vocabulary to engage only a certain kind of person here in west Houston? 6:15; Eph. He may be a fictional character, but we can all learn a little something from these Atticus quotes about life and the way we should be living. The truth is that becoming the women you and I were meant to be starts with apologizing. All believers are a “holy priesthood” (1 Pet. A ring at the doorbell may inflame a sense of expectation, suspense, secrecy, hazard or even intrigue. Four beautiful black faces have a permanent seat at our table, so their perspectives and concerns are permanently represented in our hearts. A few years later, he started his first website to share his passion for quotes. 2:5). 2:3). The paragon of virtue in Jesus’s best-known parable is a “half-breed” Samaritan, while a prominent priest and pure Levite are condemned as coldhearted contrasts (Luke 10:30–37). She had fallen into a common trap that sees token representation as meaningful diversity. Black and brown people were nothing but the mission field, while whiteness appeared to be a sign of holistic health. He finished his software engineering degree in 2007 at the École de Technologie Supérieure de Montréal. Jesus is human, like us, but lived righteously. In the global city where I serve, I should. Yet she didn't appreciated everyone else acting as if they were the most improbable twosome since Quasimodo hit on Esmeralda.”, Your Hate Mail Will Be Graded: A Decade of Whatever, 1998-2008, N for Nigger: Aphorisms for Grown Children and Childish Grown-ups. Books, blogs, quotes and nature became his guide. We also notice how black and brown people are portrayed—especially when they’re denigrated. For starters, it’s tempting to content ourselves with visual diversity alone. But intentionality must never become partiality, because Christ calls us to love all kinds of people. Primarily focused on the effects of coronavirus, the guide also looks at other causes of trauma, including racism. Racial inequity was acknowledged, a homogeneous team was diversified, “and the word of God continued to increase, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem” (Acts 6:7). Ugly men are out there all the time – look at Larry King, for God's sake. Only one kind of accessory was allowed: “Just put a ribbon in it like all the other girls!” she told my wife. I was recently talking with a Japanese family new to the States and growing in their English. In the same way, if my black daughters grow up with only classic American dolls, they’re subtly learning that light peachy skin and straight blonde hair and baby blue eyes are the standard—a monocultural image they can never replicate, and one that discounts their own striking features. They adjusted their culture-bound requirements—and no doubt grew in their perspective. By the time they finally got there, she was beginning to think his looks were his only good attribute.” ― Teri Hall, The Line He looks like someone's talking underwear. I don’t. 5:9–10). Mary Edwards was distraught when hearing her son, Cheston Edwards, was killed by a wrong-way driver on Monday morning in Johnston County. Playing an African king, Boseman displayed goodness, dignity, humility, and strength, traits that were all magnified when the world learned that he was silently battling cancer during the later stages of his rigorous career. Just because someone's pretty doesn't mean she's decent. 6:25; Heb. "From a distance, I mean. . But Scripture tells a different story, one filled with eye-opening concern for every kind of person. If we don’t pursue that family with special needs, who will tell us how our ignorance might be keeping them from full participation? If a man can control his mind he can find the way to Enlightenment, and all wisdom and virtue will naturally come to him.” – Buddha “There is some kind of a sweet innocence in being human—in not having to be just happy or just sad—in the nature of being … Now that we’re united with him by faith, we share in all that belongs to him: his righteousness, his sonship, his ministry, his family, and his future. But if he grows up seeing black men portrayed only as athletes or entertainers or criminals, he’s being told that athleticism or entertainment are requirements for his success . Or the way photo selections from the mission field can expose that we’re more concerned about sharing our exploits than helping those in need. Selfish or shallow pursuits of diversity can produce tokenism, where somehow all three black students at the small Christian school end up in the admissions brochure each year, without the school ever growing in its ethnic reach. The Gospels also tell how Zacchaeus the tax collector is transformed, a Roman centurion is enlightened, and two Pharisees honor the crucified body of Jesus, so that even the rich can know that God can fit them through the needle’s eye (Matt. 4:15). Though the way he kept telling her to speak more quietly or to look where she was going was annoying. The dress code would’ve required him to purchase a whole new wardrobe—because the “equivalent” dress in his culture was unacceptable. If you want to understand representation, look no further than the outpouring of love, honor, and grief over the 2020 death of actor Chadwick Boseman, who became an international hero for people of African descent through his portrayal of King T’Challa in Black Panther. As a family, we instinctively notice the ethnic makeup of every space we enter—a church, a school, a restaurant, even a video. 5:12–21; 1 Cor. The album contains 13 songs both notable covers and original material. Curtain Torn in Two: What Did the Tearing of the Veil Accomplish? 3:28). And when Paul writes to the Roman church, he goes to great lengths to greet his wildly diverse network, a mosaic of ethnicities and personalities showing off the gospel’s reconciling grace surging through the empire’s capital city (Rom. But inclusion is not enough. Representation can describe either the way different kinds of people are portrayed or the presence of someone who represents something about us. Wisdom calls us away from seeking diversity for its own sake, a twisted path that always ends in some form of favoritism. A few years later, he started his first website to share his passion for quotes. 2:14–16; 3:14; 4:1–6; Rev. I want to know when people are being left out. Become a monthly supporter to advance gospel-centered resources, My young black son pointed to the only black basketball player on the court at my overwhelmingly white seminary. 7:14; Acts 2:5–11; Eph. and that criminality is a way society might view his manhood. In Christ there is no Jew or Gentile, male or female, slave or free (Gal. As a pastor, I want to be a leader who listens. Not in this world, in this lifetime. In contrast, I have a black friend who took an internship at a white church. Welcome back. Rahab’s gutsy faith brings Israelite spies into her home and a Jericho prostitute into God’s family (Josh. The Gospel Coalition supports the church by providing resources that are trusted and timely, winsome and wise, and centered on the gospel of Jesus Christ. Quotes Important Quotes Explained Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 The Widow Douglas she took me for her son, and allowed she would sivilize me; but it was rough living in the house all the time, considering how dismal regular and decent the widow was in all her ways; and so when I couldn’t stand it no longer I lit out. In the world of this video, which exposed the worldview of its creators, one race does the saving, while all the others need saving. Like a lot of people, I read 1984 by George Orwell in school and read it again this past year as the trumpeting of alternative facts were taking center stage. However, every time I look at you I'm reminded of how I can never stop loving you.”, “Nice words and nice appearance doesn't conclude that someone is nice, i believe that the nicer you look, the more deceptive you appear.”, “Postmen have a legendary aura. 1:3; 2:14–15). 15:5–7; Gal. The thing that struck me most this second time around wasn’t “Big Brother,” or “War is Peace,” but the exhaustive altering and erasing of facts, as shown in the following 1984 quotes. Abel, the first victim in the Bible, is clearly righteous, not tarnished (Gen. 4:3–10; Heb. Tokenism exposes that we’re more concerned about perceived diversity than true community. Not all mailmen, though, will ring twice and await an eye-catching Lana Turner, whom they can whisper: "With my brains and your looks, we could go places.” ("The postman always rings twice")”, “No matter how tiny you look, you can lead huge men if you have what the huge men don't have.”, “We are beautiful because we are sons and daughters of God, not because we look a certain way.”, “Everything that looks too perfect is too perfect to be perfect.”, “A personality for the incredibly beautiful can be a pointless cargo...”, “Where's the use of looking nice, when no one sees me but those cross midgets, and no one cares whether I'm pretty or not?”, “I've developed into quite a swan. I'm not into appearances. The church’s response is a masterclass in humble, strategic, unified representation. I’d like to think he’d be welcomed, but there’s a reason he feels like an outsider, so I’ve kept his comments in mind. This isn’t wrong; it’s just reality. It was good for my son to see a man who represented him on the court that night. . He was tempted, like us, but never sinned (Heb. Sun Tzu is traditionally credited as the author of The Art of War, a widely influential work of military strategy that has affected both Western and East Asian philosophy and military thinking. If a multiethnic group is led by monoethnic leadership, who will point out cultural idols, blind spots, missteps, needs, and opportunities? Yet this same administrator would later disallow our black daughter from having a typical black hairstyle due to a monocultural policy ignorant about the intricacies of black hair. When we look to Jesus, from incarnation to ascension, we see a full human being. Or we flatten people’s unique features by viewing them only as interchangeable symbols of their “kind.” Our passion for inclusion can even lead us to ignore or condemn certain groups simply for their demographic clout, landing us in a second ditch as we flee the first. Strikingly, all seven appointees have Greek names (Acts 6:5). The Jerusalem church recognized that Hellenistic believers would be most effective at serving the widows from their culture. Mephibosheth, handicapped by a childhood accident, is sought out and restored by David as a representative of Saul’s fallen family (2 Sam. It’s true of everybody.”, “I don't know. So after the video played, I was compelled to point out its biased portrayal of the kind of people who need the hope and help of Christ. A version of this article appeared at the ERLC website. Even well-meaning Christian communities are not immune to internalized attitudes of racial superiority and inferiority. When the youth group sees a fellow teenager baptized, they can sense that grace and change are possible for someone their age. A healthy church or organization, then, will always be identifying and removing barriers to biblical forms of influence. He was tempted, like us, but never sinned (Heb. Thankfully, he was courageous enough to speak up, and the leaders were humble enough to hear his perspective. Children represent their parents, employees represent their companies, athletes represent their teams, and bands represent their labels. Similarly, the presence—or absence—of people like ourselves can send a powerful message about how we might be received in a given group. Anne Lamott The first is inclusion. And the body of Christ needs every part fully operational in order to mature (Eph. As the gospel spreads, the terrorist Saul is dramatically saved on his way to persecute Christians, so that no one can doubt God’s mercy (1 Tim. They were attending a Christian church—our church—for only the second time in their lives. David ‘Gunner’ Gundersen is a pastor at BridgePoint Bible Church in Houston. 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