Key Bible Verse: He has broken down the wall of hostility that used to separate us (Ephesians 2:14). Bonus Reading: Ephesians 2:14-17

Moving to an urban Boston neighborhood after high school opened my eyes to the tensions between African- and Asian-American residents. "They call us 'chinks'; we call them 'niggers'!" blurted out the Korean-American owner of a mom-and-pop store who lived across the street. Today he visits his son and grandchildren in a multi-ethnic church that is a sister congregation to our own.

Our church is intentionally becoming multi-ethnic. But my wife and I at times grit our teeth as we entrust our kids to the nursery or Sunday school classroom. Why? Because "red and yellow, black and white" make comments about each other without thinking.

"Why do your eyes slant? Because you're Korean!" my adopted Chinese daughters heard from one classroom.

"I don't want to put my kids in a class with inner-city kids!" exclaimed a suburban African-American dad another week.

"That teacher is a Jew!" muttered an Arab man, shaking his head as he exited our English-as-a-second-language (ESL) class.

We need God's power to work through our weakness so we can live out the reality that Christ has smashed the wall, and so we can enter a "conspiracy of kindness."

—Doug Perkins in Delaware

My Response: Does my church conform to, or resist, community racial patterns?

Thought to Apply: All the people like us are we, and everyone else is they.—RUDYARD KIPLING (English author)

Prayer for the Week

Lord, Your Church should be validating Christ's reconciling power. Help me to do my part.

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