Caesar Chavez and Church Inclusion

Sometimes I think it would be easier to just give into the segregation of our churches and move on from our dreams about having a diverse church--our dreams of having a church with many ethnicities, cultures, ages, and people who are on different levels of the socio economic ladder.

If we just gave into the segregation, think of how easy it would be. 

Think about how less awkward one would feel when they say amen in the middle of the sermon. Think about how much time and energy a church staff could save by not having a second service? What about all the drama around whether or not what someone said was culturally sensitive.

Wouldn’t it just be easier if we stopped trying to be diverse and just give segregation the big W?

This weekend Hannah and I went to see the movie Cesar Chavez. We were both struck by the amount of energy, time, and tears Cesar Chavez put in just so people would be treated with equality. I thought to myself, why wouldn’t this man just turn the other way, he and his family would be a lot happier and have a lot more time to play backyard baseball and have the family over for carne asada. 

But the injustice and the oppression of the farm workers forced Chavez to take a stand and fight for their equality.

One may say that the work of Chavez and the segregation our churches are two completely different issues. Chavez fought for farm workers' equality. Today the church is fighting for cultural inclusion. One is unjust and the other is just preference. This is exactly where we get it wrong!

Is it not unjust for there to be a “right way of worship” and a “wrong way of worship?” Is it not unjust for a church in a predominately Hispanic neighborhood to continue to play the music that makes them happy and remain with the style of worship that would only attract people who looked like themselves? Is it not unjust for a church to go the barrios and only expect to help those poor and unfortunate people? Who is the church serving then?

This is the sad reality of many of our churches today. But what are we to do? Are we to turn a blind eye and just preserve and maintain our churches? Or are we called to grow God’s kingdom by putting ourselves aside and striving to have the same mind of Christ Jesus? The Apostle Paul states in 1 Corinthians 9:19,

"For though I am free with respect to all, I have made myself a slave to all, so that I might win more of them.”

In order to be a truly just church, we must first put all of our selfish ambitions aside and become a servant to all. This can only happen when one puts their worship preference aside. This can only happen when ones idea of “good” worship expands to look and sounds differently then their own.   

We have seen what Chavez has done for justice and equality for the Mexican farm workers. We have seen what Paul has done for the gentiles. We have seen what God has done, through Jesus Christ in redeeming the world to Himself.

So yes, it would be a lot easier to maintain comfortable churches that lack diversity. Yes, it would take more work to actually have those awkward conversations at first to learn more about a different culture. But this is what God is calling us to do, to live in true community. If it was big enough for Jesus to come and die, if it was big enough for Paul, if it was big enough for Cesar Chavez, it needs to be big enough for us.

Tacos, Politics, and Christ

In light of the current topic of debate, the presidential election, I am reminded of the divide that many of us experience in life. Whether we are democrats or republicans, brown or white, or have denominational preferences, there seems to be always a divide of two extremes. Do we see divides in the scriptures? Sure we do. They start all the way from the beginning of Genesis when God creates man and woman to be different, we even see Paul talk about the Jew and the Gentile.

So the question that is asked: Are these political, cultural, and ecclesial differences good?

The answer is yes!

God created differences and He has called each one of us to be different.  To take a slogan from Northwestern College, how do we become different together? How do we honor each other in our differences? How do we work together to make sure that the task at hand is handled in a mature matter?

The answer for me is simple, own your differences and embrace one another’s differences with an open mind. Work together to come to a point of understanding and love one another. Are we not called to do so? Is this not the second greatest commandment?

I currently work at a church that is predominantly white. In the past, working with a church with great cultural differences has been difficult for me due to the simple fact that I longed for my own culture. I wanted to eat beans and rice instead of mashed potatoes and corn (you may laugh, but I’m serious). I was different than they were and they were different than I was. To share my cultural differences was difficult but I slowly became comfortable enough to invite some to a dinner where I would cook tacos, beans, and rice.

During this meal we shared laughs, we loved one another, and we encouraged one another in the name of Christ, even in our differences, we saw Christ in each other and that was the only thing that mattered at that table.

Now does this mean we should invite our brothers and sisters who are of different political views over for dinner? Yes! What about different denominational preferences? Yes, yes, and yes! Although I am aware that many of you already know the answer to these questions, I wonder how many of you actually participate in sharing a meal with someone drastically different then you?  Owning your differences, even in the midst of being the minority, is a sign of confidence. It is a sign of confidence not in who you are as an individual, but a confidence in your creator.

We are all different, be confident and own your differences, love one another in their differences, and remind yourself that you and the other is created by God.