That All of Us May Be One: 'Reconciliation Blues'

Breakpoint with Chuck Colson ^ | 2/26/2008 | Mark Earley

[Mr. Silverback]

Note: This commentary was delivered by PFM President Mark Earley.

Since 1926, February has been known as Black History Month. We often tend to think of it as just being something that schools celebrate every year. But a recent book by Edward Gilbreath, titled Reconciliation Blues: A Black Evangelical’s Inside View of White Christianity makes me think that maybe we should be thinking beyond that. The Church, Gilbreath believes, has a lot of thinking and learning to do about black history, and about race relations in general.

Gilbreath is editor-at-large for Christianity Today Magazine and director of editorial for Urban Ministries, Inc. Having spent his life in evangelical churches, colleges, and institutions, he knows the evangelical world inside and out. And while he loves that world, he and many of his fellow black evangelicals are troubled by many things they have experienced.

A black woman who “works at an evangelical Christian company” once wrote to Gilbreath, “The white Christians I encounter often display a shocking provincialism—a real naïveté about the world around them. Frankly, it is as if they are stunned to find out that their cultural, political, and religious frame of reference is not the only one.”

Looking back on his own experience, Gilbreath adds, “I got a rude awakening once I began to ascend the professional ranks at white evangelical institutions. . . . [It] smacked me upside the head in a variety of ways—the acceptable worship songs at church, the photos used to illustrate magazine articles and ministry ads, the feeling of always having to reeducate my white friends and colleagues. Sometimes it was as blatant as an offhand comment from a white superior at work like, ‘If we publish too many articles on the black church, our audience (i.e., white men) might feel alienated.’” While he got tired of playing the “race cop,” Gilbreath constantly felt a need to speak up for voices within the Church that he could not help feeling were being marginalized.

Instead of feeling that their perspectives are welcomed and valued, Gilbreath explains, nonwhite Christians often feel as if they are overlooked or, at best, considered “tokens” or symbols that churches or institutions can use to convince themselves they are being inclusive.

Gilbreath recounts incidents—like a black Christian leader who invited a white Christian to his home only to be rebuffed, or a publisher who featured offensive stereotypes in a Vacation Bible School curriculum. That should make white evangelicals stop and consider whether we are really taking the feelings of minority Christians into account, or just clinging to the status quo. At times we white evangelicals are so busy reacting against pervading political correctness in our culture that we go to extremes to avoid being seen as too “multicultural” or “diverse”—without thinking about how our words and actions may affect our brothers and sisters in Christ.

Edward Gilbreath closes his book with Jesus’ prayer for His followers, “that all may be one.” You know, if we are really serious about living a biblical worldview, all followers of Jesus, of all races and cultures, need to be serious about working together to make that prayer a reality.

And a good place to start would be reading Gilbreath’s Reconciliation Blues.

[Mr. Silverback]

I can see where Gilbreath is coming from, but he needs to write a second boook aimed at the oodles of Black pastors who are just as culturally moribund as any white evangelical. Write a book for the folks who think being a Christian means having politicians in the pulpit, holding NAACP meetings in the basement and (in my town) accusing the local school system of racism instead of confronting illegitimacy in your own community when kids of one race have slightly lower test scores than kids of another race. Write a book for the Black pastors who treat my Black pastor like a sellout because he doesn't join their Blacks-only efforts or preach like James Brown in "the Blues Brothers." Write a book for every Christian who has their eyes on skin color and trappings instead of our Lord.

There are links to further information at the source document.

If anyone wants on or off my Chuck Colson/BreakPoint Ping List, please notify me here or by freepmail.

[Mr. Silverback]

BreakPoint/Chuck Colson Ping!

If anyone wants on or off my Chuck Colson/BreakPoint Ping List, please notify me here or by freepmail.

[stainlessbanner]

Gilbreath should get with Charles Barkley and tell us about the fake conservative Christians [youtube]

[a_chronic_whiner]

Outstanding comment.

[Mr. Silverback]

Thanks!

[conservatism_IS_compassion]

There is just no getting around the fact that the cultures of some Americans is different from those of other Americans. It is a fact of life.

I can learn from anyone who has something to say - but that is not a reason why the culture in which I was raised should be subordinated to all the others.

[whipitgood]

One Church, one gospel, one Savior. That is the message I get from Scripture. Those of us who insist on believing in a God of one color, race, or gender surely need to pray for enlightenment.
(flame suit on)

[Mrs. Don-o]

Got that right. Right on every point.

[Mr. Silverback]

Exactly my point.

[Mr. Silverback]

Why would you need a flame suit for that?

[whipitgood]

Many people seem to believe in a masculine God. Having been flamed before for presenting controversial religious ideas on FR, I am cautious about what I post. The flame suit was just in case someone wanted to take exception to a non-gender- specific God.

[Mr. Silverback]

Oh, I thought you were talking about God preferring one gender over another.

Given that He describes Himself as male rom Genesis to Revelation, why would you think God isn’t male? And if you don’t accept the Bible as the authoratative source, why would you be surprised that people who do accept it would see God as being of one particular gender?

[whipitgood]

A pastor friend of mine (who has degrees in both Greek and Hebrew) said this: In the Hebrew language there are terms which are correctly translated into masculine gender, feminine gender, and those which are not properly translated into any gender. In the O.T. every time the writer is referring to God, the masculine term is used. When God is referring to Himself, the non gender specific term is used. Further, in the account of creation in Genesis, Adam was created “in God’s image”. Later, God took Eve “out of Adam” and then it says “male and female were created”. Thus I believe that Adam was gender non specific until after the creation of Eve. Scripture also tells us that God is without a physical body. Why would He have or need a gender? Our own language allows us to use the masculine form in issues which are actually non gender specific. My pastor friend, who is also a christian counselor and Clinical Psychologist, says that he sees a lot of sickness in women which is related to their concept of God as being of the male gender. His treatment begins with explaining to them that it is equally incorrect to refer to God as either male or female. He does allow for women to believe in a feminine God if they wish, on the road to a more complete understanding of His nature.
In the grand scheme of things, this is a fairly small issue Mr. Silverback. I respect you too much to want you to stumble over this one. I present this information on my beliefs FYI. Up to you whether you accept or reject it.