The Challenge Of Words
An intriguing challenge that often arises when we have conversations about ethnic diversity is the challenge of what words to use.
Case in point, our upcoming Diverse Pastor Projects had a subtitle using the phrase “people of color” which is a hotly debated phrase. Some people love it. Some people hate it. Some people are indifferent because even if they are an ethnic minority, the color of their skin is white and not a color. But then, isn’t white a color too?!
There are so many words that can offend people that sometimes the individuals who are attempting to cross cultures become frozen with fear at using the wrong ones and so use none at all.
People who are part of this conversation come from hugely different life spaces, and here are just a few:
– Rich versus Poor versus the Big Pile in the Middle
– Over educated versus Under educated versus “Education stinks”
– International Scholars versus Working Immigrants versus Domestic Citizens
– First generation, Second generation, 1.5 generation or even a lost generation
– Age versus Youth
Even the level of conversation we have in our churches about race and diversity can’t be agreed upon. One person will respond, “If one more person asks me how it feels to be a black woman in this church, I’m going to punch them,” while another says, “If one more person tells me they never even notice I am a Chinese person because I’m just like them, I’m walking out.”
Yet, even in this confusion and disagreement, I find there is tremendous encouragement in looking at the light of the Gospel and seeing the reality of God’s Kingdom coming to Earth.
[bctt tweet=”That is one language that speaks to us all: the laying down of a life for others.” quote=”That is one language that speaks to us all: the laying down of a life for others and the total healing that God can perform on our broken world.”]
Unity In The Spirit
We may not always find harmony in the number or kinds of words we use to talk to each other, but I think in this truth about God’s love for us, we can find an unbreakable unity of the Spirit and the courage we need to press past barriers that might arise between us. As Romans 8:31-39 says,
“31 What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us allhow will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? 33 Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. 34 Who then can condemn? No one. Christ Jesus who diedmore than that, who was raised to lifeis at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? 36 As it is written:
“For your sake we face death all day long;
we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.”
37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation [including using the wrong racial reconciliation words!], will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
