Skip to main content

LIFEGroup Reflections

This week we did something different in our LIFEGroup. We participated in one of the breakout sessions for the Justice and Mercy series. In the session we watched a video that described how the idea of different races has been used in America to justify the acquisition of land, wealth, and power by whites.

There is only one race, the human race. One of the things we learned in the breakout session is that there is often more genetic difference between people of the same ethnic group than between people of different ethnic groups. As some of the literature we read stated, the difference is really only skin deep.

As we began the discussion on racism it was evident that there was tension in the room. First, no one wants to be thought of as a racist. Second, so many of us have had such little experience with minority cultures, when we open our mouths we are bound to show our ignorance. So here we are, a group of white people, trying to acknowledge the evils of racism while at the same time trying to show ourselves not to be racists.

We say things like ‘I have black friends’ or ‘haven’t we come a long way?’ or ‘I’m not racist.’ Why are we always so quick to point out that we don’t think we are part of the problem? Why are we so afraid to acknowledge the part that we’ve played in perpetuating a system of inequality? Why are so afraid to acknowledge our hate and our ignorance? Why are we so afraid?

Maybe we are afraid because we are ignorant. Fear, hatred and ignorance go hand in hand. We don’t know what it is like to live as a minority in this country and we don’t want to know. We just want others to know the problem isn’t our fault. But what if it is?

Towards the end of the breakout session we started the process of letting our defenses down. We started to talk a little about the prejudices we do have. We started talking about how maybe our past wasn’t as noble as we had been taught. We acknowledged the division in our community. I hope that as the Justice and Mercy series continues we can continue the process of taking down our defenses and opening ourselves to learning.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Discussion Questions for Easter

Have several people ask the question, “What’s the most important thing you’ve ever done?” Ask other people, “What do you hope to accomplish in the next several years of your life?” Tell your class that today you’ll be talking about “life mission” or the one most important thing you do that drives everything else. Tell them that Jesus’ resurrection from the dead is the defining moment in history, so it should be the defining moment in our lives. Read 1 Corinthians 15:12-19. How does the resurrection impact some of the crucial beliefs of Christianity?  How would Christianity be different if there was no resurrection? How would you be different without the resurrection? Read 1 Corinthians 15:50-58. What are some specific ways that the resurrection gives us hope? If you had been a friend of Jesus when he was on earth, how would the resurrection have impacted your life?  How do you think his followers then were effected by the resurrection? Read 1 Corinthian...
3 comments
Read more

FIGHT CLUB! (iron sharpening iron)

Our youth pastor, Keith Sandison, has implemented "Fight Clubs" with the young men of our church. While these teenagers and young adults aren't actually pummeling each other physically, they are using the opportunity to aggressively challenge one another to be more attentive to their spiritual formation. Right now my son is participating in a fight club focusing on Proverbs. I love it. Keith has created a handout he uses for the fight clubs which lists seven different methods of "generic Bible study". I think the idea started with this post a few years ago, but as he often does; Keith took my thoughts and made them immensely more substantive and beneficial. Check out his system below:
1 comment
Read more

Community Killers Part Four: Complaining

Nothing can tear a group apart faster or more effectively than a spirit of complaining. For some reason, complaints seem to breed faster than rabbits. Once one person’s complaining goes unchecked, it won’t be long until others have joined in and eventually the entire group is sucked into a hopeless vortex of swirling complaints. Often these complaints have little to do with the group, but they have the potential to sideswipe and destroy a group meeting, or if left unchecked, an entire group. Complaints may cover a variety of subjects. Group members might complain about their job, their day, their neighbor, their spouse, or even the church. The role of the leader is to deal with these complaints in a way which is formative for the person, instructive for the group, and glorifying to God. Because a LIFEgroup should be a place where people share their struggles and receive support and prayer, it can sometimes be difficult to know when someone is sharing a difficulty or...
Post a Comment
Read more