Embracing Diversity

I have found that my "white world" has become much more inviting and exciting as I have embraced other cultures and have actually allowed them to influence who I am and what I do.One year ago, a young black family visited our church on Martin Luther King Jr. Sunday. As they walked in the door, they noticed the multicultural feel, the warmth and the apparent love of those gathered. They settled into the service and enjoyed the worship that ministered to the diverse group of people sitting in the pews. As the service progressed, a video was shown in honor of the life and legacy of Dr. King. The lights dimmed, and as the video began to play, the young couple heard a distinctive "white voice" behind them say, "Here we go again."When I heard about this, I began to wonder about the reality of our values and our vision to truly be a multicultural church. For years, we have held it before our congregation, put it in our bulletins, our advertisements and even preached it. It's interesting to me that it was a fully embraced part of who we were until it actually started happening. Now, with a congregation that has become culturally diverse, we have learned some things along the way. Let me share a few of these lessons.Our churches should look like the God we serve. In the early days of our church plant, the Lord spoke a strong word to my heart that He desired our church to "look like Him." Initially I didn't get that, but as I pushed into the heart of God, His word to me was that He was the "God of the nations" and we were to look like Him. When I realize the truthfulness of Dr. King's statement that "11:00 on Sunday morning is the most segregated hour in America," I know the heart of God must be broken. Churches are often referred to as a "white church" or a "black church" or a "Hispanic church." There are no white, black or Hispanic churches! Our identity in Christ is not in our culture but in our covenant. My basis of worship with you is not that you and I are of the same color but of the same family.Our eyes need to be open—not colorblind. Recently, I was speaking to a woman in our church, and as the subject of being a multicultural congregation was brought up, she informed me she had no problem worshiping with people who didn't look like her because she was "colorblind." I understood exactly what she meant, but nonetheless I felt a gentle nudge of the Holy Spirit and knew something was inherently wrong with that statement. As I processed it later, I heard the Lord speak to me that it wasn't about being colorblind but actually opening our eyes, seeing other cultures and colors and being willing and able to celebrate them. My history has shaped me; my own culture has caused me to have certain determinations about my world and myself. As I have intentionally opened my heart and my mind, I have found that my "white world" has become much more inviting and exciting as I have embraced other cultures and have actually allowed them to influence who I am and what I do. We must be intentional. The effort to look like the God of the nations must be something every leader and every person in the church gives himself or herself to. Not long ago on a Sunday morning, we gathered people into pairs to pray for one another. I asked the congregation to find someone of another color. Following the prayer, I asked them to give that person a "holy kiss" on the cheek, realizing that for many, their lips had never touched skin of another color. At that moment, spirits of prejudice were defeated and doors of relationship were opened. We are learning how to celebrate and appreciate the diversity to which God has called us. Our leadership must reflect diversity. This is not about a "white staff" orchestrating a multicultural congregation. And it's not about just people in the pews being diverse. The leadership should reflect diversity as well.Every level of our congregation is strategically and intentionally diverse. As a church, we are called to worship together, to play together, to learn together and to lead together. This movement, restoring us to the nature of God, has brought life, abundance and a sense of excitement as we have seen God posture us to reach a broad and diverse community in ways that are limitless. The majority of the churches in our area are segregated by color; God is using our commitment to be a culturally diverse congregation as a testimony of what He can do when we embrace one another regardless of culture, color or background.