Black History Month

Last week, my workmates put together a potluck in celebration for Black History Month.  I had asked if I could read a portion of Dr. Martin Luther Kings letter from the Birmingham jail and share a little of what the celebration meant to me.  I read the portion, which was super intense and addressed how Dr. King was unwilling to "wait" as his white co-ministers had pleaded with him to do.  He expressed, "I guess it is easy for those who have never felt the stinging darts of segregation to say "wait." He then preceded paint a first person perspective of that constant stinging oppression.

All in all, I not only learned more about Black History in the US, but I was able to bring the good news into a room in a very appropriate and powerful way.  To show the gracious ness and faith of an oppressed people in a very hard time in our country.  The Civil rights movement (under Dr. King) did not go violent.  They showed grace, mercy and perseverance. Out of this movement sprung the Black Gospel Churches with the famous call and response style of service.  They not only relied on God to get them through those tough times, they threw themselves into community like no other.

I'm glad I had the opportunity to reading the letter to my workmates.  I felt it would further role model reconciliation if I expressed my interest first of all because i'm not black.  I'm just passionate about racial reconciliation.  And it's not racial reconciliation for the "good of humanity."  It's because... well...

God is in the business of reconciliation.

WE ARE ONE IN CHRIST.

There is no Jew or Greek, slave or free, male or female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.

Galatians 3:28 (HCSB)