Crush Division!
Theme of the Week: Dealing with Ethnicity Today
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
 1 of 1
Key Bible Verse: He made peace between Jews and Gentiles by creating in himself one new people from the two groups. Together as one body, Christ reconciled both groups to God by means of his death on the cross, and our hostility toward each other was put to death. (Ephesians 2:15-16). Bonus Reading: Ephesians 2:11-22
A friend of mine was ice skating in a public rink. A boy bumped into him as he was being chased playfully by another kid. My friend said under his breath, "That black kid … " Then he caught himself and thought, What does this kid's behavior have to do with him being black? The answer: nothing. He was just being a kid.
Our environment and experiences condition us to prejudge and classify people in many ways. Some actions are influenced by our ethnicity; others have nothing at all to do with it.
In an era of heightened sensitivity to ethnic concerns, many ideas come from the media, academics, and popular culture about how groups should relate. Some don't measure up to the biblical position.
The Scriptures' entire thrust is on crushing division, bitterness, hatred, injustice, and indifference between groups of people. Jesus' ministry, and teaching, as well as the practice of the early church, support a direct, intentional assault on these things. They support unity, cooperative leadership, joint fellowship, and compassionate concern for the needs of all groups. To break division, the gospel is God's power; his Spirit is to be our guide.
—Kevin Blue in Faith on the Edge
My Response: Am I actively and willingly allowing Scripture to impact my attitudes toward race?
Thought to Apply: Skin color does not matter to God. … When men are standing at the foot of the cross there is no racial barrier.—Billy Graham (evangelist)
Adapted from Faith on the Edge (InterVarsity, 1999) by permission. All rights reserved by the copyright holder and/or publisher. May not be reproduced.
Copyright © 2010 by the author or Christianity Today International/Men of Integrity magazine.
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Lord, if I'm part of the problem for unity in your church, make me willing to take action so that I become part of the solution.
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