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Let's start:
The subject of racism in the kingdom of God is fraught with aversions and hidden names. At the same time it may not be racism at all that we call racism. It is a sticky and messy and hidden subject needing address. Our heart is to let you express yourself and stir the hearts of others.
Is "cultural preference" racism?
Are congregations of one race racist?
Should every congregation reflect the neighborhood in which it resides?
Thoughts?
Scriptures?
Moses, Miriam, and Miscommunication
Numbers 12
Miriam and Aaron Oppose Moses 1 Miriam and Aaron began to talk against Moses because of his Cushite wife, for he had married a Cushite. 2 "Has the LORD spoken only through Moses?" they asked. "Hasn't he also spoken through us?" And the LORD heard this.
3 (Now Moses was a very humble man, more humble than anyone else on the face of the earth.)
4 At once the LORD said to Moses, Aaron and Miriam, "Come out to the Tent of Meeting, all three of you." So the three of them came out. 5 Then the LORD came down in a pillar of cloud; he stood at the entrance to the Tent and summoned Aaron and Miriam. When both of them stepped forward, 6 he said, "Listen to my words:
"When a prophet of the LORD is among you,
I reveal myself to him in visions,
I speak to him in dreams.
7 But this is not true of my servant Moses;
he is faithful in all my house.
8 With him I speak face to face,
clearly and not in riddles;
he sees the form of the LORD .
Why then were you not afraid
to speak against my servant Moses?"
9 The anger of the LORD burned against them, and he left them.
10 When the cloud lifted from above the Tent, there stood Miriam-leprous, [a] like snow. Aaron turned toward her and saw that she had leprosy; 11 and he said to Moses, "Please, my lord, do not hold against us the sin we have so foolishly committed. 12 Do not let her be like a stillborn infant coming from its mother's womb with its flesh half eaten away."
13 So Moses cried out to the LORD , "O God, please heal her!"
14 The LORD replied to Moses, "If her father had spit in her face, would she not have been in disgrace for seven days? Confine her outside the camp for seven days; after that she can be brought back." 15 So Miriam was confined outside the camp for seven days, and the people did not move on till she was brought back.
16 After that, the people left Hazeroth and encamped in the Desert of Paran.
Footnotes:
Numbers 12:10 The Hebrew word was used for various diseases affecting the skin-not necessarily leprosy.
Moses had two wives recorded in scripture. One was a Midianite, daughter to Jethro, the Midianite priest. The other was a Cushite, an African. Miriam and and Aaron complained about the Cushite only and because of her nationality. Clear racism.
Behind their uprising against Moses also lay the issue of leadership. In the prior chapter, Moses had appointed 70 men to serve as leaders with he and Joshua. Miriam and Aaron were not listed. Now, Aaron as high priest had significant leadership exposure. There was definitely jealousy involved in the racism and a thirst for more power. When your brother and sister come against you, there can definitely be more than one issue involved.
God's response was pretty strong. The issue He addressed was the issue behind the scenes. He addressed the attack on His leadership. The assault was isolated to Miriam. The assault was treated as an insult to the Father, Himself.
There is not a lot revealed here about God's attitudes toward racism other than He was disgusted by the entire event and took immediate action to establish His point that there was nothing wrong in this situation in His eyes.
Further scripture reading will tell you over and over that God is committed to hospitality to the strangers (different types of people and nationalities) in our communities. He acts harshly against Israel every time they treat different people other than with respect, friendship, open arms and a place in the community.
Thoughts?
1 comment:
After a recent multi-racial event, the comment was spoken among partners that, "No white men will go to the main conference because it is too dangerous to go over there." The main conference was to be held some months later at a beautiful campus of an African American congregation.
It seems preponderous that such an attitude could still exist in 2005. It does. It is in fact prevailing in some groups.
How do we fight ignorance and fear that examples itself like this? Racism is mostly a product of ignorance and fear. Those that engage in racism out of egotism and dominance are not really able to be addressed.
They need to be contained and neutered in effect. Those that engage in racism out of ignorance and fear can be addressed as long as their fear is not too great to keep them from rational observation and conclusion.
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