Seeking Unity, Building Community

Who Can Heal?

In a very unusual way, this days I find myself reading about three books at the same time. One of this books to my utmost surprise, is a novel. Surprised because I have read about sixty percent of the novel. I have never read a novel before. Up until now every time that I make myself read one, I have never pass the first chapter. But, I will like to tell you about another book I’m reading.

The book is “Left to tell: Discovering God Amidst the Rwandan Holocaust” (I’m reading the Spanish version) The author, Immaculee Ilibagiza, write about the tragedy she and her family experienced during the Rwandan genocide. Last night, my wife and I (we are reading the book together) ended the chapter that begins to narrate the details of how Immaculate’s Tutsi’s neighbors and family were massacred. I must confess that I don’t look forward to read the description of such a dreadful tragedy. I will attempt to do so.

This morning on my devotional reading I read the following verse: “The hearts of people, moreover, are full of evil and there is madness in their hearts while they live...” Ecclesiastes 9:3. 

How well does the wise man describe our human predicament! 

Yes, there were political conditions that nurtured this tragic developments in Rwanda. Yes, the white Belgians were guilty of promoting and nurturing the oppression of one group of people over another.

But, yes, there is a surmountable capacity for evil in the human heart.

The only way I know, by which we can overcome this evil, is by the healing and transformation of the human heart by the grace of God revealed in and through Christ Jesus.

Carlos M

Hopeful Racial Trends

A recent article in Time Magazine (The Color of Faith" - 1/11/10) reports about the changing landscape in the racial composition of large evangelical churches. The article highlights the following:

In 1988 the percentage of large evangelical churches that were racially diverse was 6%; in 2007 the percentage was 25%.

For the last nine years the percentage of churches with 20% or more minority participation has languished to about 7.5%. But, among evangelical churches with 1,000 or more members the number has quadruple to 25%. Some are calling this the desegregation of the mega churches and probably a turning point for Christianity in America.

David Campbell, a political scientist in Notra Dame studying this trend says that "if tens of millions of Americans start sharing faith across racial boundaries, it could be one of the final steps transcending race as our great divider".

These numbers should encourage our ecumenical efforts to increase our engagement with Evangelicals. We should not be naive of persistent attitudes among many, but cannot miss the opportunities that this trend and changing attitudes present. One important question is how much these people interact in their daily lives. Nevertheless these are interesting and to some extent hopeful trends. We can choose the option of "wait and see", in the mean time children of all races that live their lives together in regular and Sunday school will do what we are so scare and resistant to do break down the barriers that divide us.

Carlos M