We are expected to go through life with friends who look like us. Being close with people who do not look like you is unusual in our culture, and the church tends to perpetuate this pattern. However, God’s Kingdom is comprised of people from all kinds of backgrounds that don’t look like our own. The question we all face is, “what will we do about it?”
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Why Do All Our Friends Look Just Like Us?
• Sandra Unger
Guest Panelists: Dee Hampton, Greg Boyd
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In this sermon, Sandra Unger shared from her personal experience while leading a ministry that is set in East Saint Paul, an area that is very diverse. On her journey, she has found that people expect her to be friends with people who look like her. However, her friends come from a variety of backgrounds. With this in mind, Sandra offers both bad news and good news.
First, let’s consider the bad news. Statistics show that almost one in five white evangelicals in America would not want a black person as their neighbor, the highest percentage of any group surveyed. A related issue is Christians’ views on poverty. Because it is far more prevalent with black people than any other group, views on race and poverty get connected. Almost 50% of black children under the age of six live in impoverished situations. About half of white evangelicals blame poverty on the lack of effort on the part of poor people. This reveals a lack of understanding of structural issues around race. Blame and judgment of individuals is the prevalent option. However, when we actually know and love individuals who look different, it is virtually impossible to argue against systemic racism. The bad news is that the white Evangelical Church has significant work to do in order to reflect God’s Kingdom in this age.
Now, let’s turn to the good news. We have God’s plan for reconciliation at our fingertips. The Apostle Paul proclaimed that, while there are differences between people, the walls of division are torn down by the work of Christ. This will be fully manifest with the fulfillment of God’s Kingdom in the end, as announced by the book of Revelation. This is good news because we get to be God’s one people, living alongside others who do not look like us. Those of us who are white must remember that most people who inhabit the world don’t look like us. We will live in eternity with people of a variety of colors, alongside others who are vastly different in the way that they look. Are we ready for this?
Hide Extended SummaryTopics: Kingdom of God, Reconciliation
Sermon Series: Race Conciliation
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The MuseCast : July 14
Focus Scripture:
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Galatians 3:28
There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male and female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus.
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Revelation 7:9
After this I looked, and there was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, robed in white, with palm branches in their hands.
3 thoughts on “Why Do All Our Friends Look Just Like Us?”
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"Thank you all the way from Oregon. I deeply appreciate being shepherded by Pastor Greg and everyone else on the panels. You are a rare find in the church nowadays. Tackling tough questions with humility and a kingdom perspective. It has been life changing for me in such tumultuous times."
– Heather, from Oregon
Dear Dr. Unger and Ms. Hampton,
Thank you both for sharing your experiences so unabashedly. I hope that others can see that though uncomfortable feelings/situations may arise in truly walking like Jesus with our neighbors, any adversity that arises is washed over by the overwhelming Love found in the interactions. In addition, as other people see the positive results, their hardened hearts have a chance of opening. God meets us where we are at, some hearts are so hardened, they will need to see firsthand the Love that flows so freely. Please continue facilitating God’s Kingdom to come and His will to be done on Earth as it is in Heaven for all races, genders, sexual orientations, etc. as we are all one race that is humanity and we that follow God and Jesus are the Bride of Christ together not separately! Hallelujah!
I’m loving this series
I forget who said it but it was a book about our true history. What was the name of that book
Please & thank you
Hey Loree,
So glad, you’re enjoying this sermon series.
The book is called, “A People‘s History of the United States” by Howard Zinn.
Thanks
_ Paige from the Communications Team