So tired of the talk, pressure and expectations-
It's getting to the point where I feel sick when you mention
Anything medicine, everything a turn off.
Apparently my sanity is not too high a cost.

At a time when, no matter how hard I try (and believe me I've tried), I can't ever find the words to express what's going on in my heart and mind as I go through my struggles, God blessed my spirit tremendously when I came across this song yesterday. I can deeply relate to every last word, it's crazy. Lord, these burdens have been so difficult to bear. My mind gets insanely twisted and there's so much that I fear. Please complete me as a man and help me to stand. Amen.

When friends don't got the time for they problems and mine, nevermind,
You're the only One that keeps me in mind,
And at times when, family don't seem to care to lend an ear,
You tell me You're right there by my side,
And when I can't find, the right words to say,
Or I just don't know how to properly explain,
I can't, put two words together, my mind is strained,
You understand, exactly what I'm not sayin'.
You know me, better than I know myself.
You're perfect and holy, I put my hope in no one else.
You only, can reach down deep into my soul to console me,
So even when I'm alone I'm never lonely.
If it hadn't been for Your grace I'd be laced in a straight jacket,
In adverse situations gave me faith to take action,
And I still found ways to take Your grace for granted,
Get all impatient, takin' my life into my own hands.

And if the sun stops shinin', and the moon would fade,
And every star grew dim, I'd still give You praise.
If this whole world fall, and every building collapse,
And every pastor backslid, I would never turn back.

There was a, point in my life when I longed for death,
That's when You came along and offered life instead,
I saw myself as unlovable, not worth the trouble,
You showed me You loved me and I fell in love with You.
You demonstrated, Your great love even further,
You gave me a wife she's so beautiful I don't deserve her.
So every day I pray for the strength to serve her,
And to keep her safe, from all that satan would serve up,
And I know I'm not, half of the man that I should be,
If I followed half Your plans, I'd be more of the man that I could be (forgive me).
I'm glad I'm not where I would be, if it hadn't been for Your hand.
Help me to stand where You put me,
'Coz I'm, I'm too impatient, and I'm often pushy,
I want what I want when I want it and it often puts me,
In a whole heap of problems, enemies swarming like hornets.
It could've all been avoided if I just heeded Your warning.

And if the sun stops shinin', and the moon would fade,
And every star grew dim, I'd still give You praise.
If this whole world fall, every building collapse,
And every pastor backslid, I would never turn back.

Sometimes just livin' is hard work, I'm stressed and my heart hurts,
All pressed like starched shirts, I rest in God's Word.
This harsh world, harbors sharp darts to harm you,
But God's Word, hidden in heart smartly arms you.
So they display they hatred for the Father,
The fact that they hate you too, ain't in no way should alarm you,
But your life lays safe in the Father's palms, through that constant drama,
Man, that fact should calm you.
God I need You, see yeah You are my very life,
You keep my heart beatin' while I'm sleepin' every night.
When I see myself God, as You see me,
Really I'm speechless, I can't help but weep,
'Coz You don't treat me (You never) as I rightly deserve:
Served into the worst parts of hell to burn.
But through Your Son's sacrifice, yeah Your anger turned,
My life is ransomed, no longer abandoned,
I'm planted firm.

And if the sun stops shinin', and the moon would fade,
And every star grew dim, I'd still give You praise.
If this whole world fall, every building collapse,
And every pastor backslid, I would never turn back.

---

Couldn't sleep so I pretended I had somewhere to go.. a friend I could talk to. While eating my cookies with milk in our kitchen, I found the words to describe one of my haunting fears: when all is said and done, I'm afraid my parents will blame themselves for my "failures." They don't deserve any more heartbreak than they've already experienced in this life.

One night, while I'm laying in my bed, tears slowly falling onto my pillow, my hand stretched out to the ceiling for the ___th time, I will finally feel what I'd been reaching out for throughout all these years.... "Hold me?"

Tonight is difficult.

What’s up everybody. There was just no way I could move on to next week without sharing with you all what a blessing this past Thursday night was. My boy David and I hit up Chinatown for some BANGIN’ pho (you don’t know the half of it! LOL) @ 86 Mulberry St. (Xe Lu’a Vietnamese Restaurant). Did some window shopping down in SoHo and then proceeded to the Bowery Poetry Club @ 308 Bowery. We came through to see Heesun, Seda, and Rock perform and represent JESUS CHRIST at a secular venue (Overtime Concert Series). In Rock’s words, the “JahRock’n Secular Show Campaign [was] about to begin.” We always talk about our testimony and reaching out to the world, and with all my heart I believe that what the JahRock’n family did that night (and continues to do) is Kingdom work in its truest and rawest form. Made my own little mix to give you a taste of what went down. The videos were taken from my cell phone, so the quality is really crappy, so you just gotta take my word for it when I tell you that the performances were BLAZING!! The crowd seriously didn’t know what was comin’ for them. Just imagine pretty much every act bein’ about self, and women, and drug dealin’, and the love of money, full of blatant profanity (I’m not judging them I’m just sayin’! there was a lot of talent in that room and we, as Christians, had nothin’ but love for them), and all of a sudden you got these 3 goin’ up there proclaiming a DIFFERENT message, and not just different, but UNASHAMED yet clearly respectful at the same time. Full of positivity and straight FIRE. Heesun, Seda, and Rock RIPPED it, took the crowd by storm, and JESUS was lifted up HIGH!! This is what it’s about fam: reaching those that don’t know Him by infiltrating the culture- not separating, but not assimilating; breaking bread, but still remaining distinct people of faith (I had to post this, because this is what I’m all about! and what every Christian should also be about .......: http://xredeemedx.xanga.com/audio/988952936799/). I praise God for all of you that continue to live out this truth. I was deeply encouraged to no end at the Bowery Poetry Club. It was a long night, but more than worth it, and it was a pleasure meeting and chillin' with all of you good people. Keep adding that oil!

ONENESS AMONGST DIVERSITY

..and why any of this matters..

 

Preface

 

These words are all I’ve got today, and I hope and pray that they go a long way. Yes, what I’m about to talk about does indeed strike a deep chord in my personal life, but I am begging you, for those who know me or know of me: please don’t see me as someone who only cares about cultural reconciliation because my fiancée is black (well, half black) and we are having an incredibly difficult time finding familial acceptance. No, I’m asking you to see me simply as a citizen of the Kingdom of God. Why? Because while God has used my experiences to shape me specifically, I’d like to think that either way He would have still taught me these truths, and I would have still embraced them just the same, because in all honesty, this issue ought to matter to all followers of Jesus Christ. This issue ought to be near and dear to not just me, but every single one of us. (Please note: I know that “culture” is an extremely broad term, as culture will exist wherever people exist, but I’m using it to mean, more particularly, the culture of ethnic groups around the world, although these principles can, and should, be applied to all cultural barriers created by sin, and not just that of ethnicity)

 

This really isn’t gonna be easy. First of all, I myself have all kinds of baggage. I’ll be the first to admit that I have tons of areas in my life that need work- I have many attitudes and feelings that most definitely need to be checked and examined, and re-examined. I’m learning just as much as the next person. Furthermore, there are so many faces, perspectives, and angles of racism, that I’m honestly afraid that I won’t do the topic justice. But we’re gonna try. I don’t claim to speak as an expert, nor do I want to come across like I know everything; I speak as someone who is also on this journey, trying to learn what the heck all these things mean. At the same time, I’m committed to Truth, and finding out what God has to say in His Word about oneness and diversity.

 

The church is where difficult life issues need to be addressed, issues such as sex and marriage, money management and the needy, and yes, hate and racism. The church must be the vehicle in which we can talk about cultural reconciliation openly, understanding that yeah, we’re gonna end up saying stupid things, but you know what, that’s okay, as long as we’re headed towards the right direction. The church has got to be the place where we can communicate in full honesty, where we can be authentic and vulnerable in front of one another. It’s not always gonna be nice or politically correct, but I know with all my heart that it’s in that uncomfortable space where you will experience God in a way you never thought possible.

 

I still have not attended a church service where these issues have been addressed, specifically and purposefully, and I’ve been going to church all my life. Yet this is where the dialogue most pressingly needs to take place! It has such huge implications for those who represent Jesus before the world, yet so little attention is given due to fear and ignorance, among other things. The church itself is often segregated as well, and Sunday may arguably be the most segregated day of the week. Now, I can understand segregation to a certain extent, like for those who only speak a certain language, or for those who live in a certain area predominated by one particular ethnicity (for whatever reason), or maybe even for those who worship in particular ways that others might not (this is kind of a stretch, but I’ll give leeway to it), but otherwise, the church really ought to reflect the community in which it exists, and more importantly, the Kingdom of God. A church should make it clear that everyone is welcome to come and worship, regardless of where they are from or what they look like.

I will say this: how we as Christians deal with the issue of race may very well be the apologetic, the proof, the thing that’s gonna show the rest of the world in our generation that Christianity is real. It’s the issue of race and the church’s inability to touch it, talk about it, and deal with it (or deal with it properly) which will make the rest of the world say, “Why should I believe there’s anything different about all of you? Why should I believe that your God is really that much more powerful than any other God that people serve?”

 

I have said this before, and I will say it again: Jesus did not come and die (and later resurrect) just so that you and I can go to Heaven. He came so that you and I can be reconciled to Him, to one another, and to the created order. Reconciliation literally means to put things back together again, to right wrong relationships- all facets of creation that have been perverted, corrupted, and marred by sin. Cultural reconciliation is a vast slice of the “one another” pie. We lack so much in this area that it’s no wonder that the world can’t see the cross. When we begin to realize what the Gospel is really about, we can begin to care for issues of injustice: culture, the poor, sexual promiscuity, disease, war, genocide, and so on and so forth. And we can begin to get actively and passionately involved. The Gospel mandate and call tells us that God desires to bring about His shalom, His wholeness, to each and every person, to all aspects of society, and to all of His creation. To limit reconciliation to only “God and us,” results in a truncated, superficial, narrow version of the Gospel that is incomplete, further resulting in Christians foolishly thinking that the message we ought to be preaching is “get saved so you can go to heaven, repent so you won’t go to hell,” end of story. The world looks at that and goes, “Are you serious? Get real.” Even they can see how inward-focused and lacking that gospel is. Yes, God has provided the means for you to escape punishment in hell and spend the rest of eternity with Him, but there is so much more! The Gospel is deeper than that; the Gospel is richer than that.

 

Movies like “Crash” try to teach us that we need to learn how to tolerate one another, but as Christians, we ought to have a problem with that, because Jesus did not want us to simply just tolerate one another, He taught us to break through tolerance, and demonstrate radical, sacrificial love. Tolerating each other is not enough, period. ‘Coz the problem is Jesus didn’t just say “Put up with other people”- He wants us to celebrate and embrace diversity! Love one another deeply for a greater glory. But we’ve got some major hurdles to overcome.

 

I need to point out that multiculturalism, in and of itself, is useless. Eating different foods, listening to different kinds of music, having friends from different countries- it’s all a waste of time if we think that the end all and be all is to be a politically correct person or community, the perfect advertisement somebody-please-take-a-picture. Why do we embrace multiculturalism? The Biblical value is clear: that we may be a people of justice and reconciliation, so that we might live out righteousness in our relationships, so that we can reflect the Kingdom and the glory of God, and so that the world might know the love of the Father.

 

If we’re just a multicultural community but doing nothing to reach those that don’t know Jesus, then we’re wasting our time. If we’re known as a multicultural community that’s very inclusive and very embracing of people but at the same time we don’t get into deeper points of reconciliation with one another through deeper fellowship, going beyond superficial relationships, then we are also wasting our time. We can be all politically correct, but if we compromise Truth for the sake of culture, we also fail at what it is that God has called us to do.

 

Racism and cultural division- we are all marred by these. Don’t think for a second that you’ve gotten away unscathed. Our culture has bathed us thoroughly, all our lives, and when you and I look at people, we make snap judgments about them, without even thinking. And my goodness.. the hurts people go through, the scars people bear, from isolated incidents to years and lifetimes of pain and struggle, due to the devil's work in this area- these things bring me to tears. Do I need to get into specifics? Even if I tried, there would just be too much to say. I’m fully aware of the complexities of racism and cultural division- we are all guilty, every nation and every culture, in their own way.

 

I want to express my sincere appreciation for Pastor Peter Hong (IL) and Dr. Voddie Baucham (TX) for their grounded teachings on cultural reconciliation at their respective churches. I would be remiss if I did not mention these two amazing preachers, and their influence on my own growth. And as you read the rest of this exposition, I challenge you to ask yourself: What is my attitude towards cultural reconciliation? Be really, really honest. Are you saying, “Yeah, I wouldn’t mind it, but as far as me and my own world, well, that’s gonna stay intact.” Are you willing to learn? Are you willing to be open, offended, and stretched? Are you willing to go there, even if it means going to a place that makes you feel insecure and uncomfortable? I hope so.

 

Part 1: Always

 

Genesis chapter 1: from the beginning, we see that diversity is rooted in the creative activity of God. Throughout the first chapter of Genesis we find God creating both the heavens and the earth, both the sea and the land, both the sun and the moon, creatures of land, water, and sky, and both male and female. And every time that He created diversity and variety, “God saw that it was good.” God celebrates the diversity found in His creation- why? I think the answer is simple yet profound: diversity reflects God’s glory- we are able to see more of the fullness of God’s glory through it. Variety, as opposed to all things being similar, helps us to catch a glimpse of the immense grandeur of Who God is- His beauty and His character. If this is true, then there’s an important principle we cannot miss: it’s in diversity that we see more of God and not less! It enlarges our view of God, it doesn’t diminish it. We are in tune with the heart of God when we can also look around and affirm that people and things that are different from us are good, and we genuinely seek to appreciate the beauty that God has chosen to express in others- when rather than saying “I can tolerate that” we can say “I appreciate that.. it’s good.”

A word about national/cultural pride: not only is it okay, but it’s important for us to be able to embrace where it is that we come from. God takes pride in the uniqueness of your culture too! What’s not okay is when that pride becomes divisive, and you can imagine all of the ways in which that can happen. The line at times can be very, very thin, and just like with any other issue, we need to guard our hearts well. There are cultures within cultures, there are mixtures of cultures, and there are multi-cultured people. The dynamics are continually changing, and there are certain aspects of culture that must be able to adapt appropriately, and there will be values that must be checked and re-checked. The passing down of culture is also very important. God Himself stresses the importance of passing down meaningful and rich traditions, from generation to generation- this is evident in the traditions He gave to the Jews, such as Passover. Throughout all of this, let us remember that the most important thing we can pass on to our children is a godly legacy and a multigenerational vision.

 

And now, the key word: “always.” Genesis chapter 11 has unfortunately been mispreached, mistaught, and misinterpreted, resulting in far-reaching consequences. Some people, upon thinking about the story of “The Tower of Babel,” will immediately say, “That story contradicts everything you just said in your first paragraph (of Part 1)!” But get this: it doesn’t. Let’s take a look at what the Bible says in Genesis 11:1-9:

 

¹ Now the whole earth had one language and one speech. ² And it came to pass, as they journeyed from the east, that they found a plain in the land of Shinar, and they dwelt there. ³ Then they said to one another, “Come, let us make bricks and bake them thoroughly.” They had brick for stone, and they had asphalt for mortar. ⁴ And they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city, and a tower whose top is in the heavens; let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be scattered abroad over the face of the whole earth.” ⁵ But the Lord came down to see the city and the tower which the sons of men had built. ⁶ And the Lord said, “Indeed the people are one and they all have one language, and this is what they begin to do; now nothing that they propose to do will be withheld from them. ⁷ Come, let Us go down and there confuse their language, that they may not understand one another’s speech.” ⁸ So the Lord scattered them abroad from there over the face of all the earth, and they ceased building the city. ⁹ Therefore its name is called Babel, because there the LORD confused the language of all the earth; and from there the LORD scattered them abroad over the face of all the earth.

 

Question: how many of you have heard messages or been taught that this passage purposes to mean that human differences- languages, and cultures, and even nations themselves- are a result of God’s judgment? How many of you have heard that the continuing diversity of the human race is simply a residue of a curse? I know I’ve been taught all of these things, and have believed it almost all of my life. The problem is that most people have a pre-conditioned view about Genesis 11. They’ve been taught that the main moral of the story has to do with man trying to be just as great, if not greater, than God. The tower itself is part of the story’s message, but if you think that is the main point, then what is the natural conclusion you will come to when you think about diversity and ethnic differences? That it’s all a result of God’s judgment and a curse? Does God somehow experience a change of heart somewhere between Genesis chapter 1 and Genesis chapter 11?

 

Check it:

God’s mandate to Adam and Eve:

“Then God blessed them, and God said to them, ‘Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it.’” -Genesis 1:28

God’s mandate to Noah and his family:

“’Bring out with you every living thing of all flesh that is with you… so that they may abound on the earth, and be fruitful and multiply on the earth.’” –Genesis 8:17

“And God blessed Noah and his sons, and said to them: ‘Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth.’” –Genesis 9:1

“’And as for you, be fruitful and multiply; Bring forth abundantly in the earth and multiply in it.’” –Genesis 9:7

This mandate was given to Noah and his family three times, I believe, to stress how important of an instruction it was, as if to say to them, “After saying it three times, you guys better have gotten it!” And got it they did, as we read Genesis chapter 10, which is known as “The Table of Nations,” a genealogy of the repopulation of humanity after the flood, through Noah’s sons. I’m actually gonna get into much deeper thoughts on the Table of Nations later on, but for now I’m going to finish the discussion regarding the story of Babel. In chapter 11, we go from “God told us to fill the whole earth” to “we’re all gonna settle down right here, in this one place.” It’s not about God and His mandate, it’s about “let us make bricks… let us build ourselves a city… let us make a name for ourselves… lest we be scattered abroad over the face of the whole earth.” Selah (pause and reflect).

 

What we find in the people who settled in the land of Shinar is utter and complete disobedience to God’s stressed mandate, and an attempt to reverse what God had always originally intended for mankind. What we find is an assembly that wanted to settle as one people group, and build cities and walls and a tower and a name for themselves (thought: even today, it’s not difficult to see the link between feelings of superiority and the building of social walls against other ethnicities). The part about building a tower to reach the heavens is secondary- their real motivation can be found in verse 4 (“lest we be scattered abroad over the face of the whole earth”). And you know what God does? He scatters them. Verse 8 says, “So the Lord scattered them abroad from there over the face of all the earth.” Verse 9: “Therefore its name is called Babel, because there the Lord confused the language of all the earth; and from there the Lord scattered them abroad over the face of all the earth.” Language was not used as a curse, but rather as a means to fulfill what God had always planned. The sin at Shinar, as much as it was about pride, was also about man’s unwillingness to do what it is that God had always creatively intended from the very beginning. Key word: “always.”

 

God was not cursing, He was restoring. In chapter 12 of Genesis, God calls a man named Abraham, and He says to him, “I will make you a great nation; I will bless you and make your name great.” Why? Because in Abraham, “all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” The multicultural aspect of humanity created the framework for God’s plan for humanity. It created the premise for Him to choose a nation, Israel, so that through it, the rest of the nations can also be blessed. The redemptive plan of God is perfect, without flaw. It’s incredibly beautiful if you take the time to think and learn about it more, and it is what God had always intended from the very beginning.

 

Now that I’ve hopefully hammered that point down, I want to revisit the Table of Nations, and delve a bit deeper into it.

 

Part 2: “Race”

 

Genesis chapter 10, abridged:

¹ Now this is the genealogy of the sons of Noah: Shem, Ham, and Japheth. And sons were born to them after the flood.
² The sons of Japheth were…

⁵ From these the coastland peoples of the Gentiles were separated into their lands, everyone according to his language, according to their families, into their nations.
⁶ The sons of Ham were Cush…

⁸ Cush begot Nimrod…

¹⁰ And the beginning of his kingdom was Babel… [note that chapter 11 takes place within chapter 10, not after]

²⁰ These were the sons of Ham, according to their families, according to their languages, in their lands and in their nations.
²¹ And children were born also to Shem…

³¹ These were the sons of Shem, according to their families, according to their languages, in their lands, according to their nations.
³² These were the families of the sons of Noah, according to their generations, in their nations; and from these the nations were divided on the earth after the flood.

 

In Genesis 9:19, the Bible says “These three were the sons of Noah, and from these the whole earth was populated,” as thoroughly displayed in Genesis 10. Now the question is: do we believe that? Most of us will likely view this question from a perspective that has been given to us by our culture. We’ve actually been conditioned to believe that there are multiple races of people. Furthermore, for those who do believe that we all came from Adam and Eve, there is a theory out there stating that there was a sub-Adamic race that did not descend from Adam, nor is identified with his lineage. After reading the Table of Nations, there are some questions that might logically arise: How do you get multiple races from three people? Were Noah’s three sons of different races then? If so, how did that happen? If not, where did multiple races come from? Interestingly enough, all these questions revolve around a premise that is false, and that premise is that there are multiple races of people. The truth is, there is only one race, there has always only been one race, and there will always only be one race, all descended from Noah, who descended from Adam (Genesis chapter 5). This truth sincerely needs to wash over us, and cleanse us of the filth social Darwinism has immersed us in.

 

Today, one definition given by Webster’s Dictionary for “race” is “a family, tribe, people, or nation belonging to the same stock,” with “stock” being defined as “the original (as a person, race, or language) from which others derive” or “the descendants of one individual.” I think Webster hit the nail right on the head in the 1828 definition though: “The lineage of a family or continued series of descendants from a parent who is called the stock. A race is the series of descendants indefinitely, thus all mankind are called the race of Adam.” I love C. S. Lewis’ Chronicles of Narnia term, the “sons of Adam.” By definition, all mankind is of one race, and one race alone. In Acts 17:26-28 Paul writes:

 

²⁶ And He has made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth, and has determined their preappointed times and the boundaries of their dwellings, ²⁷ so that they should seek the Lord, in the hope that they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us; ²⁸ for in Him we live and move and have our being, as also some of your own poets have said, ‘For we are also His offspring.’

 

As we can see, Paul is hearkening back to Genesis chapter 10, and is further saying that we are not just children of Adam, but children of God, our Creator, in Whose image we are made (Genesis 1:26-27, Genesis 9:6)! That alone is reason enough to love and respect your fellow man- in fact, God demands it. This is what we share; we are but one race. Genesis 10 is called the Table of Nations, not the Table of Races. We have a single lineage, a single blood line, a single parentage, not multiple. If this is indeed what the Bible says, then why do we have a difficult time believing the One Race Hypothesis? Two main reasons: (1) Evolution and (2) Racism.

 

In 1859, Charles Darwin came out with his book “On the Origin of Species By Means of Natural Selection or The Preservation of Favoured Races in the Struggle for Life.” Most people don’t put the whole title of the book on the cover, but that is the title in its fullness. This book, as well as Darwin’s two volumes of “The Descent of Man,” has significantly contributed to the foundation of modern-day racism. Social Darwinism is the application of the theory of natural selection to social, political, and economic issues. At its worst, it has been used to scientifically justify the Holocaust and the superiority of certain races. Most people, let alone evolutionists, would not openly subscribe to the theories of social Darwinism, but my point is this: The increase and spread of Darwinian evolution and social Darwinism has much to answer for in relation to the way people often treat each other. Sadly, people rarely recognize that the prejudices which have slowly become ingrained in their psyche have often been a result, directly or indirectly, of evolutionary thinking. We don’t know just how much we’ve been messed up, to this day.

 

Evolutionary thinking has penetrated deeply into our society and culture, resulting in more far-reaching consequences, and it has affected us all: all ethnicities and all groups, including the church. I could run through a list of examples, but man, I’d probably still leave so much out, and there is just once again, too much that can be said. Let me just say at this point, that that’s actually really discouraging for me, when I have to say something like “there’s just too much I can say/too much that can be said.” I mean, discouraging because I’m worried that you might not get it due to the fact I’m not saying more, and frustrating because I feel like even if I tried, I couldn’t possibly cover all the ground. But the Holy Spirit comes and reminds me that it’s okay, because you’re not unintelligent, and you do know what I’m talking about. Maybe one day I’ll write something containing specifics of the struggle- specifics on my own struggle too. But until then, I’ll trust that the Truth will somehow “shine forth out of the darkness,” and that He will provide true revelation to all those who are His.

 

So, if there is only one race but multiple ethnicities, what are a few implications for the way we live our lives? Well for one, we need to celebrate our oneness- in Adam, in Noah, in Abraham, and in God. Genesis 10 gets to the core of who we are as people and how we relate to and treat one another. Based on Biblical truths, how do any of us get off on thinking that somehow we are better, or more superior, than anybody else? Well, it shows- in the comments we make, in the way we carry ourselves, in the blatant attitudes we display, and in the little, subtle things that we think nobody’s gonna notice (but they do notice). We also need to recognize all racism as sin, even that in ourselves. Are you worried about, or disinclined to, having your children come home with someone of another skin color? Why? Because a fish doesn’t know it’s wet. I’m not preaching that we all need to marry someone of a different ethnicity- there is absolutely nothing wrong with personal preference in and of itself. What I am saying is that, as Christians, the only thing that should matter at the end of the day is the spiritual well-being of our prospects.

Whenever possible, we need to stop using race as a category. Do you know how difficult it has been for me thus far to write all this without using the word “race” in ways that I’d been pre-inclined to? Or how badly I wanted to title this exposition as “Racial Reconciliation”? It’s been a challenge, but that terminology is born out of our racist preconditioning. If you wanted to get really technical, categorizing people into races is racist itself! But, having said all of that, I will also say that I do understand what others mean by “race,” and I would not get offended per say. Furthermore, when a person talks about “racial reconciliation,” to that I will say, “Amen, and amen.”

 

Part 3: The Challenge

 

We’ve talked about our diversity, and we’ve talk about our oneness. What’s crazy is that we often fail to realize how badly we need one another. When Jesus says to love your neighbor (found in multiple Scriptures), He didn’t command it simply ‘coz it’s peaceful and admirable, He commanded it because when we reach out and love one another sincerely, we tap into the fact that we are genuinely, in the end, Christian or not, brothers and sisters. We connect with the fact that God values that, and says that it’s glorious and reflective of Himself.

 

When you and I remain within the confines of our own comfortable, ethnocentric, monocultural environment, what we’re essentially doing is replacing the Tower of Babel. We build up walls, we build up cities, and we build a tower, whether we realize it or not. What are we doing? You know what the walls are for some of us? Our attitudes; our prejudices; our racist mentalities; our quickness to judge; our pride; our unwillingness to forgive; our anger; our bitterness. It’s thoughts we have in our minds, and whether we recognize it or not, those thoughts become the barriers that keep us from venturing out and getting to know somebody, or treating somebody else with respect. And an unbelieving world is looking at you and me and they’re saying, “What makes you any different?” Among other things, there is also fear- fear of what you know little to nothing about, fear of offending someone or saying something stupid. A lot of times, the things that make us most insecure are the things that our pride and our egos struggle with the most. Thus, we won’t venture out, and we remain in the safe-mode of homogeneity, at the expense of “go out, go forth, build bridges, get to know.”

 

There’s a better way.. there’s a better way. Let’s take a look at Acts chapter 2: the day of Pentecost, the coming of the Holy Spirit, and the early beginnings of the church. Verses 1-13:

 

 ¹ When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. ² And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. ³ Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. ⁴ And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. ⁵ And there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men, from every nation under heaven. ⁶ And when this sound occurred, the multitude came together, and were confused, because everyone heard them speak in his own language. ⁷ Then they were all amazed and marveled, saying to one another, “Look, are not all these who speak Galileans? ⁸ And how is it that we hear, each in our own language in which we were born? ⁹ Parthians and Medes and Elamites, those dwelling in Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, ¹⁰ Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya adjoining Cyrene, visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, ¹¹ Cretans and Arabs—we hear them speaking in our own tongues the wonderful works of God.” ¹² So they were all amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, “Whatever could this mean?”

 

And to that question, you know what the Holy Spirit would have said? He would have said that there is a way we can bring all the nations together and no one has to be subjugated. There is a way we can bring everyone together and everybody can celebrate their own diversity, and they don’t have to be all the same, but they can be one. And the Holy Spirit comes down and puts His handprint right on the church, right at its beginning, and says, “There will be many, many different cultures and languages, but all will worship one God. There will be many, many people, who come from many, many nations, but there won’t be one dominating group. You will all be brothers and sisters, equal as one. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for you are all one in Christ Jesus (Galatians 3:28). I’m gonna do something no human being can possibly do: I’m gonna bring all these people together and create a new humanity that will be able to fulfill the mandate God had always originally intended.” So while there is only one church in Christ, there are many, many diverse cultures living out His Truth. That means there’s no such thing as a homogenous Christian culture, and the only culture that sets the pattern for how we view life and missions, is Christ culture. And we are free to be who we fully are in Him.

 

When I look at the book of Acts, I can see God saying, “This is the face of my church, my bride, as I work to restore all things, and establish My Kingdom as it ought to be.” Pentecost signals nothings less than the breaking down of barriers (i.e. of ethnicity, class, gender) created by human sin, and the formation of a new community, a new humanity, a people so radically different that the world sees them as a whole new race of people, who are all one without having to be the same- oneness amongst diversity.

 

What we know today as “The Great Commission” is found in Matthew 28:19, where Jesus says, “Go therefore and make disciples of panta ta ethne,” of all nations, every ethnicity, and every people groups. This commandment was not given to pastors, missionaries, and church workers alone, it was given to all of us who follow Jesus Christ and call ourselves Christians. We are all called, and we are all sent. Whatever you’re doing in life- that is mission work, whether it be in a far away country, at an office, amidst a career, in the classroom, in the family. You and I are ambassadors of the Kingdom; you and I represent Jesus (not something we ought to take lightly!). We, the church, have a multicultural directive, and like I said in the preface, I believe that racial issues may very well be the apologetic of this generation, that allows the world to see that Christianity is real, and that our God is King of kings and Lord of lords.

 

Are you willing to live your life believing that cultural reconciliation not only matters, but is right at the heart of the God we serve, right at the heart of the Gospel we preach? If so, then please understand that it will be far from easy. Consider this: America’s original sin is ethnic injustice. This nation was vastly built upon the genocide and stealing of land from Native Americans, and the kidnapping and enslavement of Africans. Too often we deal with the symptoms of all this, but never deal with the original sins of ethnic injustice and racism. Hundreds of years after slavery, decades after the Civil Rights Movement, and we still face a very segregated and racist society. Why? Because we haven’t dealt with the original sin. Now, I love this great country with all my heart, and understand what a blessing it is to be an American, but our society and culture as a corporate whole is still tainted.

 

Ethnic injustice is one of the greatest strongholds that the devil has on this world, especially here in the United States. It goes without say that he will not give it up without a fight. The pastors and leaders of churches whose congregations have committed to living out God’s truths with regard to these issues have stated that they constantly feel like they have a target on their back- the spiritual battle is intense. I myself can attest to that. Many of these, and their families, have suffered great tragedies and even lost their lives, from the Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr. to leaders of our own generation. I truly believe that standing up to all forms of social injustice is a high calling, with a high price to pay. If you are going to commit to cultural reconciliation, it cannot just last until things get difficult- just like the Christian life in general, it will have its difficulties. It cannot just be a one day, one month, while-I’m-in-my-20s type of thing. Cultural reconciliation can never be anything like that, because it’s not a fad or a cool thing to do for “right now,” it’s authentic Christianity that becomes a lifestyle. It must echo the words written by Amos in Amos 5:24: “But let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream!”

 

To live out and reflect the Kingdom of God- I can only imagine the powerful impact we, as Christians, could make on the world if we could only wake up to these truths, if they can look at us, united despite our God-given differences, and say, “WOW.. how did they…?”

 

Can you imagine?

 

Conclusion

 

I would probably be neglectful if I didn’t say anything about the curse of Canaan found in Genesis chapter 9, a curse that people have used to justify the enslavement of black people. This entire essay (I guess you can call it that) has taken me about a day and a half to write, so forgive me if I sort of “cop out” on this one and provide you with a link, but.. I have read this link thoroughly and agree with it 100%. Furthermore, the writer, Dr. Tony Evans, is most definitely a great man of God as well. For clarification on the myth of the curse of Canaan (or the curse of Ham, as others have put it), please feel free to check out this link: “Are Black People Cursed? The Curse of Ham” by Dr. Tony Evans.

 

Skin color is a very interesting thing. The fact is, our skin colors come from a pigment called melanin, and it’s the amount and type of melanin that determines a person’s shade. We all share the same pigments, our bodies just have different combinations of them. Genetics will actually show you that a “middle brown” couple is capable of producing every shade represented by every ethnicity, and thus it has been proposed that Adam and Eve most likely had a “middle brown” skin color. Let’s go beyond skin. When we get cut, you and I bleed red. If I suddenly needed a blood transfusion, I’m not gonna say, “Hey, make sure it’s Asian blood.. gotta be Asian blood. Furthermore, I want it to be Filipino. And if he’s got spiked hair, even better!” How ridiculous would that be?!

 

Now let’s go beyond blood. The church has a multicultural DNA, and the foundations of this DNA? The fact that we are all bound by the blood of Christ, and there are no walls or barriers that we cannot overcome. Furthermore, the church has a multicultural destiny! Do you know what Revelation chapter 7 is? Check out verses 9-10:

 

⁹ After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could number, of all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, with palm branches in their hands, ¹⁰ and crying out with a loud voice, saying, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!”

 

You know what this is? It’s a family reunion! Is anybody gonna be in culture shock when they get there? I hope not. We need to get used to this; these are people with whom we will spend eternity with! These are our brothers and our sisters, our family. And I echo the words of my Savior Jesus when I say “Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in Heaven.” Don’t ever get tired of making the effort- everything you do does matter. Kingdom eyes.

 

The Bible absolutely affirms culture as a glorious gift from God. Yes, all cultures are in need of redemption and have been affected by sin, but all cultures express a part of God’s glory, and it takes all cultural perspectives to even begin to see the vast beauty and the vast greatness of our God. You know, one day we will all stand before Him, together, as passionate lovers of the King, worshipping Him for all of eternity. This is the end all and be all. Can we learn to radically embrace our differences, while at the same time radically embracing what we share? Some people really haven’t given cultural reconciliation much of a thought, but God’s Word makes it crystal clear that achieving and understanding this “oneness amongst diversity” does indeed matter.

 

I sincerely thank you for taking the time out to not only read, but wholeheartedly consider, all of what’s been written down.

 

God bless you all.

 

In the love of Christ,

Ro

There is about a 400 year gap between the Old and the New Testament in the Bible. People often refer to this gap as the years God was "silent." But my rabbi (pastor) says that the blank page right before the New Testament is the only page in the Bible you should rip out (lol) because God was indeed NOT silent! This is the period in time which the story of Hanukkah takes place. Hanukkah is not one of the seven feasts of God celebrated by the Jews, but it is an important part of their culture and traditions, as well as OURS, as Christians! It is a story of how God continued to keep His promise to Israel, and preserved them as a people, directly enabling the birth of Jesus Christ to occur, the event for which Christmas is celebrated. So, my friends, there is definitely a profound way in which Christmas and Hanukkah are related!

Here is a summary of the story of Hanukkah: Antiochus (215-164 BC), who was nicknamed "The Madman," felt threatened by the Jewish people and decided to force them to become more Greek. He demanded that the Jewish people bow down to his statue, worship him as a Greek god incarnate and submit to his authority. They were also not allowed to read the Torah. Now, some of the Jewish leaders may have been willing to accept his political authority, but they could never accept his religious authority. There was a remnant among the Jews who stayed true to God, and hated idols, and would never bow down to one- and they could never believe that the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob was incarnated in the person Antiochus Epiphanes!

The Jews, who lived in a town called Modiin rebelled, under the leadership of Mattathias, a Levite who along with his son Judah Maccabee led a grassroots rebellion from about 167 to 165 BC. The Maccabees fought hard and finally took Jerusalem and the Temple back in great victory.

Redemption and Sacrifice are key concepts in the Hanukkah celebration, for the victory came at a great cost. According to later Jewish tradition, after the victory the Maccabees only had enough olive oil to fuel the eternal light in the Temple for one day- but it took eight days to crush the olives and prepare the oil. The miracle of Hanukkah is this: the oil, which should have only lasted one day, lasted for eight. This is why we celebrate Hanukkah for eight days.

Yet, the real miracle of Hanukkah is not the miracle of lights, but the fact that God once again preserved His chosen people against all odds! The Lord kept His promise to Israel that they would not be destroyed (Jeremiah 31:35-37, Romans 11:29). God preserved His people because He had chosen them for a glorious purpose that was yet to be fulfilled!

The best was yet to come. Almost 200 years later, God sent His final ultimate Word of redemption and sacrifice, Jesus the Messiah- to purchase the salvation of Jews and Gentiles with His own life. The true link between Hanukkah and Christmas is very simple: God is faithful and always keeps His promises. This same God continues to keep His promises to the Jewish people, as well as to the Gentiles (the covenant which we remember every time we take communion).

This past Saturday during our Shabbat service, Rabbi Steve gave an excellent message about a few deeper truths concerning this holiday. During Hanukkah, the Menorah candlestick has 9 candles: one tall candle in the middle, with four smaller candles on each side. The middle candle is called the servant candle. It is lit on every night of Hanukkah, while the others are only lit one at a time, with each passing day. In his Old Testament book, Isaiah would often refer to The Servant (ex. Isaiah 53), whom we know to be Jesus. In John 8:12, Jesus says "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life." The middle candle, the servant candle, symbolizes the suffering Servant and the Light of the world.

The Maccabees knew that their first order of business was to cleanse the temple, which Antiochus had defiled. In John chapter 2, Jesus does the same thing, and cleanses the temple when He drives the sellers and moneychangers out of it. During that time, the solemnity of the Temple was no longer defiled by others, but by the Jews themselves, as their acts of repentance and sacrifice became ritualistic, religious, and mechanical. But the Temple today is no longer a building structure, because Jesus established a new standard when He came: the Temple is our bodies. Hanukkah reminds us that Jesus demands a pure and holy temple, one that is not defiled by a lifestyle of thoughtless worship and habitual sin.

In the past, the creation and pouring of the oil was done with immense care by the Jews. My blessed sister Wing Yee would always encourage me with these words: "Add oil, add oil, add oil." Yes, Jesus is the Light of Life, but as His followers, we bear His light as a testimony before the world. Jesus says in Matthew 5:14: "You are the light of the world." Let's keep our fire burning, and keep adding oil nonstop. How do we do that? By staying grounded in the Word (Psalm 119:105), keeping in touch with Him always, and loving one another authentically, just to name a few ways. I realize for sure that this is not always easy, but thank God we can rely on His strength. I wish all of you a Happy Holiday season, and may His glorious light shine brightly in your heart and in your home. Avinu Shalom Aleichem! (Our Father's peace be upon you!)

In the love of Christ,
Ro

It was nice to see Starbury (Stephon Marbury) at church yesterday. He has been on some deep end stuff this year, so it's nice to see a positive amidst a whole lot of negative. Anyways, it has been forever since I last visited Abundant Life, but it was a blessing as always. Alana and I took her mom out for her birthday and we started the day off there. I was applying the "frustration test" Pastor was talkin' about almost as soon as I learned it, lol. Afterwards we ate at IHOP (stuffed french toast is the best!!), and then we picked Vicky up for a movie. Allow me to just say that "Law Abiding Citizen" was a DOPE movie (gruesome yes, but dope!). I liked it better than 2012 even, which we saw the night before. It was fun hanging out with Alana and her family .

---

On Saturday, we had a Messianic Dance workshop, and it was an incredible blessing. Now, I like to dance, but I have never ever tried Messianic/Israeli dance moves. I actually had fun (yes Ray, I did break a sweat hahha) and more importantly, I believe God was glorified through it all. Our instructors are renowned in the field of Messianic dance, and they travel all over the country doing workshops. I believe the day before they were in Alabama, and today they are traveling to Ohio (they are based in Las Vegas). Well, this dance is danced in a circle, meant to take off any attention to one individual, and also to kind of symbolizing a sort of "shutting out the evil one" effect (it's also really cool looking too ). The moves are not difficult, but when everyone does it in sync and in total praise, it looks absolutely beautiful. The wife, our main instructor, gave her testimony during one of the breaks and it was so powerful!! I got chills because it resounded so strongly within me. I felt her heart- Jews and Gentiles, we gotta come together ya'll, as one, to experience God and His plan and His blessings completely. Here are a few pics I took:

P.S. We are learning a lot of good stuff at church . May God bless Sha'ar Adonai.

---

I really should have blogged about this immediately after the event. There's so much I could say about it but I believe God's blessings have saturated and continue to go forth on their own, so I will leave it at that.

---

I got to looking at a few pictures from my time in Dominica, and boy was I skinny!! I miss being healthier and more fit- and I'm trying to get back into shape. I've been going to the gym almost every day before I study, with no results as of yet. Regardless, I know it's not in vain as my heart is getting the exercise it needs (in light of all the health risks that run in my family). I also know I need to have more self-control with the food I eat, but it's so hard here!! I shall keep trying. Coming across those Dominica pictures also made me miss my friends, whom I love very much and continue to appreciate to this day .

---

---

Great weekend for me, and I am thankful for it because I needed a refresher after a frustrating study week. It's not easy, at all, and like I told a few of my friends- every day I fight this voice in my head that tortures me saying: "This is impossible." I wrote out a prayer to God on one of my index cards last Friday, when I hit a wall, and I am trusting Him to answer me in His due time. So many circumstances collide in the battlefield of the mind, and at times it is unbearable (many times). After writing that prayer on Friday, I also found a poem I wrote in the back of a notebook- I must have written it sometime in 2006, before going off to medical school. I read it and could not believe that it came from me:

Deep, I know . But it spoke to me in the present. Well, I'm gonna try to put in as much study time as I can before Thanksgiving. Thank you to no end to those who continue to pray for me and my exam. Just to update you all, I have pushed back my date to January (or maybe even early February). There's no way I will be ready by December. To my friends going through similar seasons, I will keep you in my prayers as well. Lord, please continue to uphold us in Your mighty, mighty arms of love. I love You.

---

The passage Luke preached out of today, during his father's funeral:

Philippians 3:8-10 ⁸Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ, ⁹And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith: ¹⁰That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death...

This was Paul's heart.. Pastor Rolly's heart.. Luke's heart.. the heart of the Villamater family.. and may it be the heart in all of us.. amen.

---

Tita Emy was sharing today about how, during the extremely difficult times in their lives, Uncle Rolly would just take hold of her hand, and say to her, "Sweetheart, I love you. God hasn't forgotten about us...." Every single time. This moved me so deeply. Encouraged me so deeply.

---

As some of you know, my phone got run over by a car outside of Rite Aid over a week ago. Since I had to buy a new one, I wanted my next phone to be something I would be happy with for the long run- something innovative, useful, and preferably touch-screen (I got used to it after using the Palm Trio). After doing my homework, I decided that I wanted to get the Samsung Rogue, and I honestly could not be happier with the decision: it is exactly what I had hoped for, and I am totally in love with it . It's a small joy that goes a long way with all of the difficulties and anxieties I am going through right now. It's a blessing I am thankful for:

---

It was great speaking with my Pastor Ed tonight- what a pleasure it was catching up .

[[Jeniel Corpuz Photography]]
Uncle Rolly,
I praise the Lord that you are now with Him in paradise.
As Tita Emy said,
You can finally walk again .
Growing up, if there was anyone who was like a second dad to us,
It was you.
Pastor,
I know that your testimony, faith, and love,
For Christ and your family, will always live on.
To the Villamater family,
I'm so sorry .
I can't say enough how much we are all with you,
In thought, prayer, and if you need anything at all...
May the Lord grace you with His comfort and peace.
As Luke would say,
Soli Deo Gloria, to God be ALL the glory,
Amen.

---

[[Jewel Dale Photography]]
This shot is just PERFECT.
My heart, no matter what.
Gapstow Bridge, Central Park, NYC

---

"Be anxious for nothing,
but in everything by prayer and supplication
with thanksgiving
let your requests be made known to God."
-Philippians 4:6
..thanks for the call Harry..