Local missions: How do churches bring together different cultures?
There’s a sign on a busy street in our neighborhood that advertises “free food for Jesus” every Saturday. I guess it’s better in my neighborhood than another one, like my parents’, because there must be lots of people named Jesús where we live. It’s primarily a Latino community. More people can benefit from free food here.
Last night at happy hour, my friends and I were discussing how to bridge the gap between the white people and the Latino people in our area of Denver. We also talked about how that happens through churches. Is it up to the church leadership? Do we need speaker swaps between different churches? Do we provide translations to sermons in different languages? How do we deal with varying education levels when it comes to teaching and preaching?
What does trusting the Holy Spirit in this mean? My recent experience tells me that any plotting and scheming on my behalf is futile. If we all only focused on abiding in God, while still praying for reconciliation and sanctification, the fruits would be natural. That means no Spanish ministry committee meetings, structured “fellowship” potlucks, or three-tiered mission goals for the local community. These things might be the natural fruit of a church seeking God, but they shouldn’t be Plan A for reaching the community.
Our urgency shouldn’t be in making our church look like our community, or in serving, or in loving, or in sharing Jesus with anyone. Our urgency should only be in our need for God. We can trust his desires for our community more than our own, and when ours are aligned with his, we can simply relax and thank him for letting us be a part of it all.
Maybe I’m naïve. But I’m also speaking as a literal bridge between two very different cultures. Half of my extended family is white and half is Pakistani. Thankfully, I’ve never attempted three-tiered conversation goals when I speak to either side. But as a person bridging two ethnicities, I know that any real connection between people comes from genuinely living life together, free from agenda or even the most well-intentioned goals.
As this church or car dealership or home (not sure which it is) offers to feed Jesus on Saturdays, they are making a statement to the community, albeit a confusing one. Does your church make a statement, through actions or words? Do you personally? How do these add to or diminish separation among different groups within the community?
I think this question confronts me almost daily. Its one of those things you really want to see but making it happen seems next to impossible. Large chunks of the NT fight hard for unity in the midst of diversity, but tells almost nowhere how to fight for diversity while maintaining unity. We're commanded to love deed and truth, not to let race determine our unity, but rather our baptism and faith in the gospel.
So in a sense I think we pray, we find our identity neither in race or socio-economic backgrounds, but in God's grace towards us in Christ. We do that, practicing hospitality, welcoming those different from us, and most of all clinging to the faith delivered to us in the Gospel.
Thanks for raising the question.
There’s been a lot of research done on the topic of “racialization” which is not outright racism but the subtle preference to be surrounded by those similar to you.
That subtle drive to be surrounded by things familiar is what leads to finding identity in them and ultimately the great sins of humanity. Racialization, or subtle preference for those similar to you, leads to racism.
So if you want to be/do the opposite you have to go back to the root: your preference for the familiar. When it comes down to it, the preference for the familiar is based on fear… we are afraid of what we don’t know (because to know is to obtain a degree of control over).
As John says: perfect love drives out all fear.