A MULTI-ETHNIC COMMUNITY: CAN IT BE?

We are on the verge of something I have dreamed about and prayed about for years: a truly multi-ethnic community of faith. But can we cross the line into multilateral community? Humanly speaking, it is impossible. We stand almost completely white, looking across as a group of almost completely Guatemalans, talking to a congregation that is almost completely black. The music has started; Dare we even begin to dance together?

I know how black and white relationships can be. We can be friendly to each other in public places, and we can give wonderful speeches about dreams we have of a world without prejudice. We are polite and create a positive and easy pseudo-community for a season. But let a trigger occur, and ugliness spills out. Racism is in our hearts, and we didn't even know it. We saw it happen with the riots, and we will see it again.

It reminds me of the scene I witnessed at a Friday Fun Night a few months ago. White and black children were playing basketball together, having what seemed to be a good time. Then somebody crossed a line, broke a rule, committed a foul, and racial slurs started flying. Children took sides, not based on which team they played for, but based on color of skin. All it took was an offense to reveal the heart.

My preacher used to say, "You can tell what a person is carrying in his bucket by bumping it. What is in the bucket is what spills out." Hatred and mistrust came out when buckets were bumped. Until then, everyone got along fine. Are we ready to have our buckets bumped?

Tom was telling me about attitudes of African-Americans toward Hispanics. He said that when blacks get together, many of them talk as if Hispanics are taking "their" jobs away from them. Hispanics move into a neighborhood and are hired to do manual labor jobs and entry-level jobs that have historically been filled by blacks. He said that almost without exception, once Hispanics move into a black neighborhood, eventually it will become entirely Hispanic. Through violence and economics, the Hispanics will win. The scene sounds very familiar to me, except that the ethnic groups are new.

We live at a crossroad in Price Hill. For a season, there are three or four ethnic groups living in our community. While we are all here, before the opportunity is lost, can we give Christ to everyone, and all learn to live in harmony? It will only happen when the empowered upper middle class suburban whites give power to the middle class Apallachian whites, when the middle class whites give power to the lower middle class blacks, and when the empowered lower middle class blacks give power to the lower class Hispanics. It will only happen when we all learn to serve one another in love.

The process is not easy. Humanly speaking, I believe that it is impossible. But Jesus said that with God all things are possible. Even this. Even here. Even now. Amen. As Tom said, sounds like heaven to me.

"LORD, bring Your kingdom to this neighborhood. Take us to a new place. Teach us to love one another and to enter each others' worlds in a bold and radical way. Then use our unity, forged over time and trials, to win the world to Yourself. In the name of Jesus and by the prompting of Your Holy Spirit I boldly ask these things. Amen."
-ker