In 1915 America was in crisis. The large wave of immigrants had threatened what people deemed the “American way of life.” In other words, people didn’t like that others were different from them. It was in this culture that Jewish scholar and writer Horace Kallen wrote his 1915 essay “Democracy versus the Melting Pot.” Kallen challenged the popular notion of America as a melting pot. To Kallen the very idea of a melting pot contradicts part of what it means to be American, of a country of people founded on freedom and equality. He challenged that America was not a melting pot, but a symphony. In a symphony, the different instruments work together, creating a distinct sound that cannot be made of a group of instruments that are all the same.
Originally posted at lukeaholmes.com.
I see you Luke Holmes repping Oklahoma. Good word brother.
That is a great analogy.
With three agency head positions open right now, the SBC has a chance to make this about ministry, not influence or denominational politics. The positions should be filled by people who are qualified by education, experience, commitment and ability, not by how much influence you have among your friends or admirers on the trustee boards, or the favors that are owed.
I like your illustration…. Right now, there are a lot of tubas and trumpets with a couple of flutes. Whole sections of the orchestra are missing. The music is grating and hard to listen to. It can and should be different. Time will tell. It will be a miracle if tone deaf Southern Baptists can get there. Firing the orchestra leader was a fantastic start.