July 2020: Racism and the Lies We Live

For the past several months the news has been covering two pandemics: the coronavirus and racism. One invaded our country at the end of 2019. The other has been with us for 400 years. If any people of color have been in this country for any length of time, they have most likely encountered both to some degree.

My earliest recollection of racism was as a child. In grammar school, on more than one occasion, I got called “Chink” or “Chinaman.” I recall a little boy taking his index fingers and using them to raise up the sides of his eyes to appear like what he considered Asian. He taunted me saying, “Ching, Chong, Chinaman!” When I got called those names, I glared, and proudly stated, “I’m Japanese!,” as if it would stop the racist behavior from wounding my soul.

Most, if not all, of you reading this have your own stories. And, they shaped how you view the world and see others. Whether or not we are people of color, we each have our own prejudices and racial biases. These are too often cultivated in our own homes.

With the death of George Floyd and too many others, many of us are confronted with our own thoughts and feelings about race and people different from ourselves. We may rail against the injustice exhibited in Floyd’s case, but if we are honest, some prejudice or racial bias may surface. No doubt systemic racism has influenced us, but so have personal experiences, both positive and negative; these have shaped our views about African American people and people of other races and ethnicities. We have formed ungodly beliefs, which are contrary to the nature, character or Word of God. These lies have led to racial bias and prejudice. And, we need to admit it. It’s a good and necessary admission, if positive change is ever to occur.

A second admission also needs to be made: We are part of the problem. If we are Christian, this is a sin issue. Scripture is clear on how we are to “love our neighbor as our self” (Luke 10:27) and “act justly, love mercy and walk humbly with our God” (Micah 6:8). Followers of Jesus, regardless race, are all one in Christ Jesus (Gal 3:28; Eph 4:1-4). For those of us who belong to racially homogeneous churches, we need to ask if we are not reflecting the kingdom of God in all its diversity because we are simply more comfortable with “our own kind.”

Thankfully, God is a God of mercy and grace. He told the Israelites, “If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land” (2 Chron 7:14). Our first response to the injustice so prevalent in America should be to humble ourselves and ask the Lord to examine our hearts (Ps 139:23-24). Then, from a place of our own confession and repentance, we need to name and address the ungodly beliefs we hold relating to other races or ethnic groups. Only then can we begin to move from living lies to living the truth that leads to genuine reconciliation and healing.

Questions to ponder…

1. What specific ungodly beliefs about race do I personally hold? What experiences or people influenced me to take on those lies?

2. What do I need to bring before the Lord in confession and repentance? What is God’s word of forgiveness to me as I do that?

3. What truth does the Lord want to give me to replace the lies I have believed?

4. How will I act differently to live into the truth God has given me?

Pondering with you,

Arlene

May 2020: Hospitality in a Time of Social Distancing

“Come on over.” “The house is a mess, but you’re welcome anytime.” “Mi casa es su casa.” At one time or another, most of us have said one or more of these things. As Christians, we know that hospitality is a wonderful thing. Numerous places in Scripture tell us to practice hospitality (Rom. 12:13). It is seen as a good deed (1 Tim. 5:10). Yet, in a =me of social distancing, what does it look like? Is it inviting people to our backyard pa=o for an outdoor meal while staying six feet apart, and removing our masks in between bites of grilled hamburgers?

As a community and ministry of hospitality, hope and healing, we in ArborSpring have been thinking about hospitality since our beginning in 2007. Believing the Lord would give us a property fairly quickly, we officially named the ministry ArborSpring Retreat House. We anticipated a place large enough to house 10-12 overnight guests and the healing and equipping ministries we offered. We looked forward to providing hospitality to those who came.

While we wait on God’s timing for the retreat house, we have understandably asked the Lord how we could still offer hospitality to others. He led us to a devotional thought by Henri Nouwen, a Catholic priest, professor, spiritual mentor and author. In his book, Bread for the Journey, he writes about “Listening as Spiritual Hospitality.” Nouwen states,

“Listening is much more than allowing another to talk while waiting for a chance to respond. Listening is paying full attention to others and welcoming them into our very beings. The beauty of listening is that those who are listened to start feeling accepted, start taking their words more seriously and discovering their own true selves. Listening is a form of spiritual hospitality…”

Through Nouwen’s words, we in ArborSpring came to understand hospitality as more than a place; it’s really about being a welcoming presence. Even without a physical location, we discovered that we can still be a “retreat house” ourselves. By our presence, we can create a welcoming space into which we can invite others, a space where they can experience warmth, safety and God's love.

Especially during this time of uncertainty, anxiety and grief over the loss of what we knew as “normal,” we need people who practice spiritual hospitality. We need people who can listen well and be those safe places for others to come and find relief and refreshment. Whether it is through Zoom, a phone call or talking to our neighbor over the fence, we can all engage in some way in the ministry of spiritual hospitality.

This said, such hospitality is not an easy thing. Nouwen reminds us, “To listen is very hard, because it asks of us so much interior stability that we no longer need to prove ourselves by speeches, arguments, statements, or declarations. True listeners no longer have an inner need to make their presence known. They are free to receive, to welcome, to accept.”

I believe that those who “are free to receive, to welcome, to accept,” are those whose hearts are full. When our hearts are full of the Lord himself, we are able to listen well. I pray God would fill and enlarge our hearts, knowing that the bigger the heart, the bigger the space to welcome those we know and have yet to meet. And, we needn’t worry about “getting it right,” for as someone has said, “Hospitality is not about inviting people into our perfect homes; it’s all about inviting people into our imperfect hearts.”

Questions to ponder…

1. What goes on inside of me when I listen to others?

2. How do both my healing and brokenness affect how well I listen?

3. To what extent do I engage in genuine spiritual hospitality? What does that look like in my own life and ministry?

4. What is God's invitation to me?

Pondering with you,

Arlene