Anti-Racism Dialogue

A friend suggested I start a blog with my latest update letter. Here it is, my first post:

Dear Friends, April 2010
God is good. He answers prayers! Thanks for praying for Bridge of Life and our calling in Gardenland/Northgate.
We had a great start to a significant dialog on racism last week, facilitated by my friend Rudy Gonzalez. Stay tuned for a more detailed report on our discussion and our next steps.
Here are just a few heartfelt comments to stir your imaginations and ignite your prayers about this important topic:
• Third generation Asian American: "All of my life I have felt like a second-class citizen, even though I am fully and proudly American.... I was so surprised and curious about this Dialog on Racism that I had to come, because I have been in the Christian Church a long time [many decades] and I have never heard of racism being discussed. Nobody has ever asked me about my experiences before…"
• First generation European immigrant: "Americans are blind to the racism in and out of the Church."
• First generation African immigrant: "Racism is a crucial issue that needs to be dealt with in the Church... We must do something about it!"
• First generation Asian immigrant spoke about "The White Church". (Hmm, how does that phrase sound to you?)
• Anglo pastor: "I hope we can understand and help others understand how deeply painful the sin of racism is..."
• African American pastor: "I have had to consciously change myself to 'fit in' to the majority culture. This is cultural idolatry and the Gospel of Jesus Christ is at stake."
• Another Anglo pastor: "Racism is a denial of the image of God, and undercuts our Biblical identity at the core of every person and the heart of the Gospel."
• Anglo Christian Community Developer: "We need ideas on how to address racism and tools to implement those ideas!"
Many many people spoke of being steeped in a very homogenous culture most of their early lives, and then at some point, when they engaged with another culture and found themselves in "the minority", however briefly, they called the experience "eye-opening".
(It struck me that the comfort of the "majority" in the homogeneity that we often seek is therefore so often associated, by contrast, with living with our eyes closed.....)

Indeed, sight and blindness seemed to be a common theme that I heard last Friday. To sum up some major themes:
"Racism is alive and well, but unseen or unacknowledged by many, especially in the Church. It is rarely discussed, yet considered a "crucial issue" by those most directly affected by it. And our Biblical identity as image-bearers of Christ, brothers and sisters beautifully created in His image, makes any issue that affects some of us, by definition, affect all of us- the whole family of God!"
Therefore racism is an issue that must be dealt with, and the Good News of the Gospel of reconciliation is that in the grace of Christ we can deal with it. Also, we have some very smart and grace-filled leaders around here that can shepherd us through this "eye-opening" Dialogue on Racism and begin to identify next steps. I am profoundly grateful for Rudy Gonzalez- his friendship, and his work with our denomination's race relations department.
Stay tuned..... We are thinking about another event in autumn....
Please keep praying!
Go Well,
Pastor Dave