RACIAL DIS-HARMONY: THE TENSION OF OUR PERSONAL PREFERENCES

There is a theological phrase that embodies the tensions that Christians feel by living in this world while living for another world in our seeking to serve Christ. It does not take much to feel this tension through the channels in which the world seeks to impose its morality and vision through television, music and the "American Dream." If we are honest it is difficult to navigate these waters at times. Theologians have captured the essence of this tension by coining the phrase: "Now, but Not Yet."

In summary that phrase means that as believers we are saved "now" and, according to Paul,

we live in the heavenly places (Ephesians 2:4-6 and Colossians 3:1-4). The truth of the gospel teaches us that at the moment of our conversion, in a mysterious way, our lives - our real life - is with the Lord. That is the “Now.” The “Not Yet” signifies that, while it is true that we are with Christ in the heavenly places we not yet fully there in that we are here, still, on earth. This is why it is difficult and a battle to love and live for Christ. We are desirous of heaven, but we are still crippled and beset by the flesh which constantly wages war against our passion for Christ (Romans 7:14ff and Galatians 5:16-17).

It is this tension that is the reason for the various inconsistencies of the church including the struggle with unity. In the flesh we want what we want. In the flesh we are crippled by our divided passions that fuel our preferences which move us to love self and our culture above others. The root of racial division within the body are the untamed passions of the flesh in the not yet of our salvation.

We need to know that within all of us remains the ability to sin and to sin big-time. There is in all of us the sinful inclinations to see life, society and different cultures from a purely worldly perspective and to treat them from the same. This fuel so many relational conflicts that block the move of God in the world and in our own hearts. This is why Paul says in Romans 14

20 Do not, for the sake of food, destroy the work of God. Everything is indeed clean, but it is

wrong for anyone to make another stumble by what he eats (Romans 14:20).

On the surface it appears that Paul is speaking about eating food, but it is more than this. Yes, we should not eat food offered to idols if our brother is offended by such actions. Therefore, Paul says that in our communal relations we should not let something like food preferences destroy what God is doing and has done in Christ. However, food in this context is not simply about food. Food is about relationships.

Paul is saying that we should never let our preferences destroy what God has done in Christ by uniting us together as a body relational and racial unity. This applies, in principle, to anything that would harm the unity of the body including our racial and cultural preferences. There is nothing wrong if your preference is due to your context. If you have been raised in a black family then one might have preferences of marrying someone in their own culture. This does not necessarily mean that they would hate or disown someone if they chose otherwise. It just means that they, by natural reflect, would assume this to be.

Yet, for example, if the prospect of a black daughter marrying a white or Hispanic man evokes feeling of anger in her family expressed in racialized language, those parents would be allowing their preferences to destroy the work of God. The work of God is not actually destroyed but what Paul means is that the actions of those parents have the strong possibility of wounding the faith of their daughter not to mention those who don't know Christ.

My mentor once told me that when you minister to others you minister to them, their families and beyond. When you encourage someone that encouragement goes beyond them to others whom they may come in contact with. The same is true, however, with racial division. When you minster such division to one person your reputation goes beyond them to their families and beyond. Such is the challenge of the church. Many are questioning Christ because the church that speaks of Christ as one who loves us just as we are and has united us to the Father by His death and yet, in our example we embody the exact opposite. We speak of love and unity and yet we are creating hatred and division. We are destroying the work of God because of racial division veiled as cultural preference.

Racial division is bitter fruit of the Christian who has not learned to navigate the Now and Not Yet of their personal relationship with Christ. None of us are exempt from this tension and, therefore, all of us need to fight to ensure that in our preferences we are not muting or hiding or opposing the work of God achieved on the cross through Christ.