I’m a growing fan of spoken verse poetry (thanks to Sarah Kay) and just found this great video by David Bowden on the call to unity amidst all types of diversity within the church. An excerpt:
“I was taught that Jesus died for the sins of humanity, that his cross would demolish all hints of inequality, that he cried out for unity in his last prayer at Gethsemane, and that this infallible book would bring all believers to harmony. But across the street were the Nazerenes, and two blocks down were the Catholics, and a mile north a church called Community and east of that were more Baptists. I had this uncalloused thought that if we couldn’t have fellowship with those in other fellowships who were taught a little different than at least we could at least befriend the Baptists who were baptized for the same reasons and under the same creeds and because of the same tree. But these Baptists weren’t like the Baptists in all baptistry, washing away their sin, for though these baptists shared our beliefs, they did not share our skin. “ Most haunting is his question: “How did we get so far off from the truth that now a poor, dark-skinned, unattractive, isreali-jew would have better luck dying for our sins than fitting in on our pews?”I wonder that too.
between worlds 