Today's Devotional

 

March 18, 2008

                                                                                         

Subject:  Unity In Our Community

Ephesians 2:13-15 "But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.  For He is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us.  Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace"

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In 1991, I moved to Albany, Georgia.  For those who don't know, Albany is in "the South."  When I say, "the South," I mean "The South."  I had just returned from a military tour in Japan for two years and had become desensitized to the issue of race because in Japan we were all seen as "those Americans."  Having lived for periods of time in other foreign countries, you get used to be identified as a separate group.  

What I was not ready for in 1991 as a growing Christian was the extreme racial divide I found in the church.  As I prayed for my choice of church when I arrived, I joined Sherwood, a large Baptist church near where I was living.  Of the 3,000 members at the time, about 10 of us were "people of color" and that posed some challenges, but those challenges were nothing compared to the hostility that I faced at times from some "people of color" once they found out that I attended that church.  It was strange to see and since those days, I've come to realize that racism, a tool of Satan, continues to prevail in the sub consciousness of many believers, both black and white.  

Yesterday as I watched more of the coverage of Reverend Jeremiah Wright, I noticed that people kept using the word "our community" or the "African-American church/Black church. "  Most of the time I know what they are talking about and it kills me.  It's what I experienced 17 years ago in Southwest Georgia.  Many people worship based on skin color and not based on Christ.  That is most sad because when I hear reference to "our community" I want it to be the community of faith, the community of believers, but instead it is most often race-based.  There is no "black church" and there is no "white church."  There is only the Church of Jesus Christ.  I can't seem to get over how people can't see that Jesus did away with all of that enmity to make us one in Him.  It must grieve Him terribly that instead we go back to the principles of the world in choosing our natural character instead of our spiritual character when we talk about "our church."    

Finally, read the scriptural passage above in a more contemporary version.    

Ephesians 2:14-15 Christ has made peace between Jews and Gentiles, and he has united us by breaking down the wall of hatred that separated us. Christ gave his own body to destroy the Law of Moses with all its rules and commands. He even brought Jews and Gentiles together as though we were only one person, when he united us in peace. 

Today I simply pray that we (the church) can truly become one.

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Carlen