On Political Involvement: we need to avoid two extremes – putting all our eggs in the political basket or avoiding political involvement at all. We need to be involved properly.
New Books – “Onward – Engaging the Culture without losing the Gospel” will address these issues. Engaging with a spirit of both kindness and wisdom.
Can a white church staff speak to racial issues without hypocrisy?
We are all hypocrites. We are all struggling pilgrims. It is more than just hiring people with multiethnic backgrounds. It is a process. Not all will happen at once. We need to faithfully teach the scriptures and things will come together – not because of a program but because of God’s work.
How do we respond to incendiary news stories with potentially racist elements?
We need to be wise. We need to recognize that there’s a real reason why we suspect these things, but withhold judgment until the facts come out. Don’t jump to judgment. We know there’s a bad history, but the facts of this case are unknown.
Ferguson – the facts of that situation were unknown, but there was a reason why black people and white people saw that so differently.
Balancing the Black Lives Matter and Blue lives Matter movements.
We must understand. A black pastor will walk into a store and be followed around. It is dangerous for black people in ways it is not for whites. There are officers who brutalize. Yet there are many who are heroic and wonderful – the majority.
Whites need to call other whites to listen to the black community and understand WHY they feel the way they do. Black leaders need to help their community see that many/most whites are not their enemy.
WHITE Privilege. Does it exist?
Of course it exists. Many things happen to ethnics that do not happen to white people. A black pastor says, “White people always tell me when I preach – you are so articulate.” Or, “You are so intelligent.” As if it is a surprise.”
Should we feel guilty? No. But we should recognize it and not immediately dismiss the experiences of people who have a different experience. Listen to the other side. Understand that the America you live in is not exactly the same America others live in.
Transethnic Adoption
There is a lot of hostility from all sides. Grandparents. Outside community that wants those children to stay in the child’s heritage.
It is more important that a child have a Christian mom and dad than that he or she have his heritage. But you need to attempt to expose that child to his birth culture.
Obama’s effects on racial reconciliation.
I didn’t vote for him. I was glad America was at the point that it could elect an African American president. Many had too high of expectations – that this election would move us into a post-racial culture.
It is great that non-white children now have hope that the Oval Office is open to them.
Anti-Semitism.
Because there is a devil and Jesus is Jewish, there will always be anti-Semitism. This will never be over as long as the world lasts.
There are Christian communities and Jewish communities eradicated in the middle east. Europe is a hotbed of anti-Seminitism.
Immigration
Two signs at the border. “Help Wanted” and “Keep OUt.” (Richard Land.”)
We need to see people, not just issues.
Some have broken the law, but how do we make this right?
How do we change things?
It takes pastors who will pray and preach on these issues. And equip people on these issues.
Big problem – fear of man and the opposition of powerful people. in churches there are unreconstructed racists but don’t want to think of themselves as racists, so they find other things to pick on.
