When Kregel Publications offered this book as a blog tour, I jumped at the chance to read it. Having lived in Downtown Minneapolis for three years and at Bethel University for another three, racial reconciliation was always at the forefront of topics discussed at college and church. I always wondered if it is truly possible to have an ethnically diverse, unified church...so I started reading.
The authors answer YES to my question - and that is encouraging.
Author Kenneth A. Mathews writes the first five chapters, and I like the foundation that he creates - He begins with God. Mathews shows very clearly from Scripture God's design for creation. Man (all created human beings) was created in the image of God Himself (Genesis 1:27). Once it's been established that all persons (humans) were created in God's image, Mathews goes on to show that God is carrying out his plan of salvation through even the least of them - even those who have been "marginalized or discarded by society," (pg 64).
Mathews continues to write a detailed history of the ancient nations of the bible, saturating his work in Scripture and continually demonstrating that "the racist idea that peoples were predetermined to be superior or inferior based on divine selection does not...correlate with what actually occurred in the history of Israel," (pg 79).
The other author, M. Sydney Park, continues by showing how Jesus reconciled people of difference. She discusses Jesus and the Gentiles (the Centurion from Luke 7:1-10 and the Gentile woman from Matthew 15:21-28), Jesus and the Good Samaritan, and the parable of the Prodigal Son (Luke 15:11-32) in order to give the reason for racial reconciliation: we are called to love our neighbors as ourselves. Park writes that this requires, "an all-inclusive position with respect to ethnic boundaries...the disciple of Christ loves the other fully regardless of race," (pg 170).
There is so much more to say - this book is so rich - but I will end with worship because that is why I was most curious about this book. I wondered, with all the varying styles of worship music, how an ethnically diverse church would satisfy all of its members. Park writes, "It's one thing to know that God desires all races to worship him, that his son Jesus Christ makes this possible at the cross, and that we are, regardless of race, one body in Christ. But it's a different matter entirely to implement this. Each church will be different," (pg 229). Brian and I attended Bethlehem Baptist in Minneapolis when they were asking this very question, and I love that this author attended Bethlehem for a time and shares their success in implementing various styles of worship: "On some Sundays, worship was a combination of hymns and praise music; other Sundays, it was a combination of African-style music and hymns," (pg 231).
In her conclusion, Parks discusses issues that require further attention in our modern day such as immigration, interracial marriage, multiethnic worship, and evangelism/missions. These issues are reevaluated based on what Scripture teaches.
Racism is still very real today, even though the Jim Crow Laws are no more. I am thankful to the authors for writing an excellent, Scripturally-sound book that speaks to how churches are supposed to respond in this post-racial era (although it's not truly post-racial). Park concludes by encouraging churches to pursue ethnic diversity in their churches, helping people experience "the profound love of Christ that bridges all gaps and heals all wounds. The only question that remains is this: Is it possible for all races, as members of Christ's body, to live in self-sacrificing love and mutual submission to one another?" (pg 255).
Exceptional read. Buy it from Kregel today and praying about how the LORD may lead you to begin bridging the gap between ethnicities at your local church.
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