Erasing the Stain of Racism
April 18, 2008 -- Building a successful, multi-cultural ministry goes far beyond diversity work groups, occasional choir exchanges, or setting aside time on Sunday mornings to pray for an end to racism, says Edward Gilbreath, author of the recently released book "Reconciliation Blues: A Black Evangelical's Inside View of White Christianity.''
In a presentation on Friday at Calvin College's Festival of Faith & Writing, Gilbreath said breaking down racial barriers requires that members of a congregation be committed to opening themselves to the reality that everyone is equal in the eyes of God.
"We in the church tend to think that those moments of coming together and holding hands should solve it," said Gilbreath, a former editor at Christianity Today. "But it is really an ongoing thing of learning, of being committed for the long haul, that will make the difference."
Gilbreath was among the many writers, artists and others who made presentations on Friday, the second of the three-day writer's conference being held on the campus of the Christian Reformed Church in North America-owned college in Grand Rapids. The event, which ends Sunday evening, has drawn more than 1,500 attendees.
Many of the presentations at the festival have been about the joy and wonder of reading and writing literature. But the bi-annual event also is tackling some tough topics - such as the sin of racism that continues to confront even the most well-meaning Christians.
In his talk, Gilbreath read from his new book, describing his youth in Rockford, Ill., and being bussed from his poor, predominately black neighborhood to attend elementary school in a more upscale, white part of town. â??It seemed as if those yellow buses were taking us to a brighter, more hopeful place,â?? he read.
But in being in that place, he says, he realized time and again that his skin color didn't match that of the majority of the students in that school. He realized that there were differences that divided them - differences in attitude, opportunity and in expectation for themselves and their futures.
As a writer, Gilbreath says he finds himself trying to chronicle and also heal that gap - that distance that divides people of different races and leads them to language and actions that are at best misguided and at worst a form of hidden, if unconscious, hatred. Blacks and whites are equally to blame for promoting and maintaining the walls of hatred and misunderstanding that divide them, he said.
"Trying to live out true biblical unity is hard? We know there is a racial divide in the church and we have been throwing our best stuff at it for many years," he said. "We are more enlightened today. But there is still racism. It is now a more subtle and elusive thing."
What is needed is for people in the church to realize that the Christian faith, at its very core, calls people of different races and cultures to be serious about the business of working and worshipping together, said Gilbreath.
This doesn't mean ignoring or forsaking one's unique culture and heritage. Blacks, whites, Asians, Native Americans, Hispanics all come from different places and each group has special approaches to celebrating their Christian faith.
Gilbreath says he isn't asking people to give up their special qualities. "Each of us is unique for a reason," he said.
"But at the same we need to realize that God is moving us to a place where people in churches need to engage each other ? We need to be willing to take a risk, to share things we are really experiencing and grappling with. We need to stop dancing around the hard stuff, especially in the Christian realm."
To read more about the Festival of Faith & Writing and to read a blog that gives updates reflections and information on the events, visit www.calvin.edu.
Chris Meehan, CRC Communications
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------ Chris Meehan News and Media Relations Christian Reformed Church in North America www.crcna.org