"I Don’t Mean to be Racist, But…"

I get an occasional glance on my blog from my own church members and I appreciate you out their. Over my short term in ministry, every church I have been in has either directly or indirectly had problems with racism. To set the record straight…I am not racist, prejudice, or think I am better than any other ethnicity in the world. After all, Jesus was not a “white male” either. Growing up in a growing city in south Florida, I have been accustom to all kinds of races at school, work, and church. When I moved into the “Bible Belt” this all changed.

While serving in one particular church, my wife and I were victims of a road rage and shooting…no bullets hit us…Of course the gossips started flying through church and almost everyone who came up to me and asked me questions about it first started off by asking…”Were they black people?” “Nope! They were as white as you and me” I responded watching the shock on their faces that a crime was committed by one of their own kind and not a black person.

I have also heard horror stories of churches in the Bible Belt telling a black person to go worship down at the “Black Church” That enrages me to no end. How can “Christians” do this?

The Church I serve in now is different, there are many different races and ethnic backgrounds represented in Worship. We have Haitians, Greeks, English, Canadian, Chinese, African American, Romanian, Hungarian, German, as well as Anglo-American. It’s awesome to see so many types of people joining together as one. I want to list some of my “pet peeves” of how Christians show direct or indirect racism:

1. Don’t Call it “The Black Church” – They are a church…I’m sure white people are welcome
2. Don’t say “I don’t mean to be racist, but…” – If there is something that might sound racist or
stereotypical, than it doesn’t need to be said.
3. “Them Mexicans” – not all Spanish speaking people are Mexican. If you are white and speak
english does that make you British?
4.”Don’t Judge Interracial Marriage” – I believe we humans are all one race bonded together by
one faith in one God. How could skin color break that apart? We have a couple of bi-racial
marriages in our church and they are the sweetest people.
5. (this one’s left blank for your examples…let’s stop this nonsense of racism)

"Baby Grace" Murder

Wow…I don’t normally link too many news articles but this one is just appalling to me. Where is this world going when we would kill a child for not saying “please” or “Yes Sir”? …Warning, if you have small children this might make you cry. Click here to read the story.

A Little Warning!

Well I’ve never had any trouble with the law before…that is until today! I was bored with my usual airport viewing area so I decided to look around for a better spot. I found an awesome place behind an empty hangar! Well I parked my car and was able to see the planes actually glide down the strip and even could see which terminal they steered towards. I was carelessly talking to Dan Browne on the phone for about 10-15 minutes when I noticed the Sheriff’s car coming my way rather quickly. Ah Crap! I knew I was going to be in trouble. Apparently Airport Security noticed me and called the cops! I was lucky to just get a verbal warning not to come back here and I apologized. To be honest with you, I don’t think the sheriff really cared but you know how the FAA is!

A Break In @ Church

Sometimes I wonder what goes on in the minds of criminals that drives them into doing what they do. I am quickly reminded by God that we are all sinners and we are living in the law of sin in us and the fact that no human is “good” (see Romans 7:14-25). No matter how good you may think you are and how good someone else might be the truth is that we are ALL capable of doing evil, criminal things.

We had apparently had a break-in at our church over the weekend. The thieves did not steal money, electronics, etc.they stole food! Our fellowship hall is not under the security system so our huge commercial fridge stocked with meats for Wednesday Supper, milk and juices, and other various kitchen supplies were wiped clean! It’s like a college fraternity came home for the weekend. WHY? Why they broke in for food i don’t know. Are humans getting so corrupt that not even a church is safe from violence? I see it in the news all the time with the recent shootings and fires during worship. It is sad that the one place people can turn to for assistance now has to have a high-tech alarm system to keep people out.

I agree that it is important to secure the valuables that are a part of God’s House. The issue is that the CHURCH HAS NOT DONE ITS PART IN KEEPING OUR SOCIETY FROM BEING THIS EVIL!!!!! Now its coming back to bite us (sorry for the food pun) in the butt!

on a side note…I’m pretty mad that they got my chocolate donuts!