Minority in Ministry

As a Puerto Rican-American from the Bronx (NYC) who attended a differently diverse university in an urban New Jersey community and joined staff with a majority Caucasian organization, I can assure you that it is not easy to become part of a community where you are a minority and still hold true to your individuality and culture.

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As a child, I had always seen multiple ethnic backgrounds and diverse cultures represented in nearly every area of my life.

When I moved to New Jersey for college, I witnessed a shift in the cultural population and slightly felt the need to adjust. Stepping into the classroom was noticeably and often uncomfortably different in its ethnic demographic.

As a Deaf education major, I became well acquainted with the feeling of being uncomfortable in a community of people who are all of a different culture. (Most Deaf adults asso ciate with their deafness before they do with their ethnicity. In their world, you are either hearing or Deaf.)

Even later in life, as an interned with a national organization where I worked with a  majority Suburban American team, I would occasionally feel uncomfortable and alone. Sometimes I felt misunderstood and often pride led me to believe I deserved special attention because "they needed to learn about my differences".

Being a minority, ethnically, spiritually, physically, mentally and emotionally is never easy and rarely, if ever, comfortable.  This doesn’t mean we shouldn’t purposefully place ourselves in places where we are the minority.

Look at Peter, a friend and disciple of Jesus Christ. Acts 10 and 11 record:

·         Peter’s fear to enter into a different culture - Peter originally didn't want to bring the Gospel to the Gentiles. They were completely different than he was in culture, spirituality, ethnicity and more.

·         God's calling for him to stay uncomfortable - The Holy Spirit led Peter to bring the truth of the Gospel to the Gentiles. Later in chapter eleven, he is even able to be a bridge-builder between the circumcised Jews and the Gentiles.

·         The fruit of his obedience to the Holy Spirit – Despite Peter's obvious discomfort and fear, his obedience finally led him to the opportunity to be a bridge-builder between the Gentiles and God and into the whole body of Christ (The Church).

It wasn't easy for Peter to be the only Jew amongst Gentiles, nor was it easy for him to be one of the few Jews within his community who believed Gentiles could know and experience the Holy Spirit. He probably often felt scared and alone like I did entering the deaf community and like I'm sure you have at some point as well. He may have even though it to be an impossible task (outside of God) to merge the two different cultures together. However, as believers, God calls us to be part of the impossible. He doesn’t just call us to Himself, but He calls us to community so that we may be a brighter example of what love looks like to this dark world.

Set in the city

Set in the City M5.14

Last nights inspiration to paint was Matthew 5:14 and "learning to be the light" by New World Son.

We, as believers, are called to be the light of the world. "You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden" - Matthew 5:14 I can talk about this a lot but basically there are people who's hearts are like an ice cold night towards God. We can't melt their hearts with advice and a list of things they shouldn't do (New World Son). The only way to really shine some warmth into their lives is to set ourselves in them where they can see our day to day reflections of Christ's love in our own lives. It may not happen overnight but we need to set ourselves still in the lives of people God has given us so that we may properly reflect the Son, just as the moon is set in a position where it will properly reflect the sun's light to a dark night.

Whose life are you setting yourself in? Is your light noticeable?

Race, Culture, & Religion

If you know me at all, you know that this blog posting is actually very well delayed.

Be real... How much of an issue is gender, race or culture when you address someone for the first time about religion?

Do we cater the Kingdom of God to those who most look like us unless we feel especially called to some people of a different culture?! Is that why I hear so many people say "I'm going to Africa on a missions trip" when Africa is a continent? Or is this why people say they are called to an urban environment (thinking poor, minorities) when most "urban environments" have a wide range of people with widely different economical statuses?

Do we have to feel called to a certain group of people if they are different from us before we can be a light to them?

Why don't more Christians start spiritual conversations with people who are different from them? Is it a matter of comfort? Ignorance? Sin?