Red and Yellow, Black and White

"We must face the fact that in America, the church is still the most segregated major institution in America. At 11:00 on Sunday morning when we stand and sing and Christ has no east or west, we stand at the most segregated hour in this nation. This is tragic." Dr. Martin Luther King – 1963

I’ve thought about Dr. King’s observation many times over the years as I’ve worshipped in a variety of churches around the country while on the road for Wheat Ridge Ministries. My experience has been consistent with research that indicates that things haven’t changed much since 1963. A quick search turned up research that indicated that in the United States currently, in 90% of religious congregations, more than 80% of the congregation membership is comprised of a single racial group.

I was especially blessed recently to worship in a Lutheran church that is clearly among the 10% of churches where this is not true. Redeemer Lutheran Church is located in the Harrison neighborhood just north of downtown Minneapolis, Minnesota. It was founded more than 100 years ago when persons of Swedish descent populated the neighborhood. As with many urban neighborhoods, the Harrison neighborhood has experienced many changes over the years and it has faced its share of economic challenges and other problems. Today, the neighborhood is in the midst of change again. It’s attracting a vibrant mix of people from a variety of races and cultures who are increasingly attracted by the close proximity to downtown Minneapolis.

For many years, Redeemer has been committed to being a center of health, hope and healing in the Harrison neighborhood. Pastor Kelly Chatman has a wonderful vision of the church as a transforming presence in the neighborhood. In 1998, Redeemer established a separate non-profit organization aligned with the congregation called the Redeemer Center for Life. The Center has been a springboard for a variety of new ministry ventures, ranging from low-income housing to businesses that provide vocational training and employment for young people in the neighborhood. Wheat Ridge Ministries has benefitted over the years from the opportunity to help seed several of these innovative efforts.

Although I have visited Redeemer many times over the years, I had not been able to join the congregation for worship until my visit there during the Martin Luther King Day weekend earlier this year. What an experience! The sanctuary was filled with a wonderfully diverse blend of people … young and old people, rich and poor people with a rich variety of skin colors and ethnic origins. All of these people gathered in community to worship God together and to partake in the body and blood of Christ at the communion table. The liturgy and music was a reflection of this great blend of styles and cultures.

The Good News shared by Pastor Kelly in his sermon included a wonderful application of the question asked of Phillip by Nathaniel in the Gospel of John, Chapter1:  “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Kelly observed that this question could be asked about all of us, as we each have characteristics that can cause doubt in the minds of others and, sometimes in our own minds, about whether we are worthy of God’s love.  And, he reminded us that God’s answer to this question is a resounding “Yes!” By God’s grace and through the redemptive power of Christ, good can come from all of us as we bring our unique gifts to the table in response to God’s love.

My worship experience at Redeemer reminded me of a song I learned as a child (you probably did, too), that I’ve been thinking about a lot since that Sunday:

Jesus loves the little children,

All the children of the world.

Red and yellow

Black and white

They are precious in His sight.

Jesus loves the little children

Of the world.

 

Wouldn’t it be great to live to see the day when Dr. King’s vision of all God’s people – people of all races, ages, sizes, cultures, education, states of health, and economic status – working, living, and even worshipping together, is the norm rather than an exception? What a great preparation for the eternity we will spend when we meet these brothers and sisters in Christ in heaven!  

Senseless Violence – Endless Hope

As I write this, I’m still trying to comprehend the recent terrifying news out of Aurora, Colorado, about the gunman who killed 12 people and wounded another 58 in a movie theatre. What is it that compels a person to cause such harm to innocent people? Is this person beyond our care and compassion based on the terrible acts committed? What must it have been like to be sitting in a darkened theatre when this man started shooting? How much harm has been done through this act to the community that still grieves the terrible loss of young lives from the Columbine massacre that happened just a few miles away?

Unfortunately, the loss of life by violence is not limited to crazed gunmen. In Chicago, so far this year, over 300 people have been killed through gang-related violence. And, of course, domestic violence continues to impact the lives of so many, especially women and children. We don’t need to look to places like Syria and Afghanistan to see or experience the horrible results of violence; it is abundantly evident every day here in the United States.

Listening to interviews with people after tragedies, I’m totally puzzled by the logic of those who advocate for violent measures to stop violence. Several people who called into a radio talk show in Chicago the day after the shootings suggested that if only Colorado had a less restrictive concealed weapons law, more people in the theatre would have had guns and the man who started the shooting could have been stopped by a bullet. How would gun crossfire in a crowded theatre have decreased the loss of life and injury? In Chicago, a letter to the editor of one of the major newspapers proposed that the city hire military vets, arm them, and put them on the streets of Chicago with orders to shoot on sight any gang members they see.

I don’t mean to make light of these reactions. We are afraid of the violence we experience and see around us. We see it amplified by the media, glorified in movies, and we end up petrified as we live our lives. These situations bring us face to face with the reality of how fragile life can be.

Of course, God’s vision for our world and our lives is most certainly not this. Fortunately, God’s message of life – health and hope made possible in Christ – is proclaimed and inspires people to share the Good News in word and deed and make an impact by serving others. So, as I try to comprehend the reality of violence in our world, I’m also filled with hope as I see the church in action through people addressing issues to prevent violence so that the norm becomes love, honor and care for their neighbors as unique members of God’s creation. The Wheat Ridge community is regularly blessed by the opportunity to help seed some of these efforts. Among those that come to mind today are …

• The McClintock Partnership in Charlotte, North Carolina, that engages large numbers of volunteers from Christ Lutheran Church to serve at-risk students and their parents in an under-resourced public middle school;

• The Initiative Against Bullying and Violence at Concordia Lutheran Church in Chicago;

• The HOPE Schools and St. Marcus Lutheran School, where inspired teachers transform lives and bring hope to children and teens in inner-city Milwaukee through high-quality education;

• The S.H.A.P.E. Center in Detroit, established by Immanuel Lutheran Church, to provide wellness programs for inner city youth;

• The Pailalen Parental Training to Prevent Violence Program developed by Lutheran Child and Family Service of Michigan to help parents learn skills that can prevent violence by their children against self, family and others;

• The Domestic Violence Survivor’s Project, led by King of Kings Lutheran Church in Milwaukie, Oregon;

• The Living Room at Redeemer Center for Life in Minneapolis, that provides a safe place for individuals, youth and families in an underserved community to gather and to receive assistance.

Please join me in praying for leaders of these efforts and those they serve even as we ask the Lord to help us all be more effective as individuals and as the church to end the scourge of violence in our homes and communities.

“I came that you might have life, and have it to the full.”

John 10:10