The Institute (協会)

Save for the African heritage elements, it seems like most prom videos for churches in the western United States.

Anthony, people expect churches to be "nice." It's only when somebody's behavior breaks that mold that it becomes "news." This video is nice, but "nice" is not "news."

They are commenting on this side of the church--see Stelmodad's comment on the "African heritage" elements. I'd love to see a mostly white church put that kind of rhetoric out there.

Well, actually, I've seen it, and it's grotesque.

Bike Bubba, I won't do it because the phones of my various bosses around the country would be ringing off the hook but I could easily find lots of churches that do the same thing with Celtic culture and Scottish culture.

Not to mention (in the circles I have come from) Dutch culture.

Yup, and I hope that if a white candidate went to a church that said such things as does TUCC, he'd be gone, too.

If you find stuff that nasty in your own denomination, go ahead. Raise some Hell.

I've got no problems with ethnic groups to celebrate the "Old world" culture, or even one that's developed here. But to submerge the Gospel under that? Yikes!

Bike Bubba,
You and I haven't seen eye to on a lot of things. We have went at it on this blog as well as my own. Instead of just "reacting" to your comments in a negative way, what I decided to do was go to your blog and just try to get in your head a little bit. I spent about a half hour looking over your posts and more importantly those who were commenting on your post. Very interesting... all though I have to admit I thought you were above calling O'bama "Hussein!" Come on man! That is for non thinking folks and I never have (nor do I now)viewed you as such. But that was a little too extreme. Rabbit trail! Sorry!

Anyway I am beginning to piece together you ( as much as one can on the "net") and am curious to know a little more about your interaction with folks of color. You seem to be very adamant about what racism is/isn't and about not sending your kids to public school but what I am interested in is your experience.

How many black friends do you have? Real relationships with folks that you count on as friends not just associates.

Do you live in a homogenous neighborhood?

Is your church all white?

These are things that I think are important to know as I move forward in our interaction (this is assuming that we will continue to interact on blogs and what not).This may seem a little weird but I think it is important to know who I am dealing with.

If I am dealing with someone who is very engaged with folks who doesn't look like him and someone who has meaningful relationships outside of his race then that will help me as I interact.

If I am dealing with someone who only get's his information from the news and has not had regular interaction with people that are different than him then this too will help me interact with out just reacting in a negative way. Help me out here!

Here is a little bit about me. I am a biracial (black and white) man who grew up exclusively within my black side of my family (which I will admit has shaped me to be very "pro black" in a lot of ways even when I should just think outside of race) because my white side completely disowned me when I was born. I went to Moody Bible Institute in Chicago (which was a huge culture shock that I am still recovering from) and ministered in Chicago for 8 years on the south side of Chicago (Historic black community that used to be know as the "black belt" in the early part of the 20th century).

I am currently in California planting a multicultural church in Richmond. (Where the movie "Coach Carter" took place)My wife is Puerto Rican and we have three children.

Long story short. Bike Bubba let me in just a little bit so we can have more productive dialogue here without me flying off the hinges at times.

Anthony sorry about the "weird" comment but Bike Bubba is a constant here on your blog as am I and I just want to get a feel for this guy. Feel free to delete this is if you feel this is inappropriate.

I love the blog man!

Holla!

Aaron, I think you're asking the wrong question; if I were, say, from rural North Dakota, you would instantly go at me in an entirely different way than if I were, for example, someone who spent a fair amount of time running track in Gary while growing up, works and worships with a lot of asians, and even had his picture taken with a family from Dallas at the King center in Atlanta.

Without any difference whatsoever in my outlook on life, you'd discriminate against me. Chew on that for a minute if you would.

But since you ask, the latter is the truth. Not that it's terribly important, but it's the truth.

Wow! Bike Bubba!
You really took it to a whole "nother" lever! I am not going to discriminate against you regardless of where you are from or where you are now. I think you are way too sensitive on this one. I am open to the idea that maybe my questions made you defensive. If so this was not my intention.

The info just helps me when we interact. For example if racial reconciliation and cross cultural relationships are new to someone then I need to be more mindful of those things and may have a different starting point than if I am dealing with someone who is more used to discussions on race and cross cultural relationships.

Furthermore I am not going to talk about solving systemic race issues with someone who has never interacting or had cross cultural meaningful relationships. That would defintely be putting the "cart before the horse" if you know what I mean. You feel me? Relax Bike!:)

Which by the way is very common here in the states. Isolation is the norm for all people groups here in the states. So to be honest if you were one who grew up in a diverse setting than you are of the minority (all though California is defintiely making me think about diversity because of the TRUE diversity here). I grew up in a 99% African American neighborhood just so you know. So I didn't have the privlege of growing up in a diverse community.

Anyway could you please answer my questions? I am just curious. I am also interested in your interaction with "black folks" since this whole O'bama thing is very much a black and white thing.

Here are the questions again...

Do you have meaningful relationships with people of color (in particular black folks but also all types)?

Do you live in a homogenous neighborhood? (Are you neighboring with folks that are economically and ethnically different than you?)

Do you attend a white church? (What is the name of it?)

Again this is may be too personal and if so then that is all good, by all means don't answer any of them but I do think these things would be helpful to know.

P.S. Are you from Gary? Or did your high school (or whatever school) compete against a high school(s) in Gary? I know a lot of folks from Gary so this is why I ask.

Peace,

As someone who has actually _been_ to Trinity and listened to Jeremiah Wright, I must admit that they've done a lot of good for their community. They have developed a finely tuned machine, and it works.

However, this doesn't excuse Wright from what he said, and regardless of whatever good the church has done as a whole, it has been tainted by the brash (and rapidly approaching hateful) words of its now ex-leader.

Bike Bubba,
Maybe you shouldn't answer those questions. Just because I shared those things about me doesn't give me the right to expect that from you.To be honest sometimes I wear my multiculturalism badge in a very proud way. I need to stop doing that. Maybe an email dialogue will be better for this type of discussion. Holla at me when you get a chance!

Anthony,
You said...
"I won't do it because the phones of my various bosses around the country would be ringing off the hook..."

Curious to know what you meant here?

Aaron, that IS his middle name, just as we might refer to Hillary Rodham Clinton or George Walker Bush, no? Please.

And I'm no stranger to real diversity, from attending asian and black churches in CA for two summers to living in a mixed (for MN at least) neighborhood and going to a racially mixed church, from running track in Gary to mailing a man convicted of dealing cocaine for a decade while he was in prison. Yes, this includes friends, including the guy who started to lead me to Christ.

I've learned some things that work to mix people, like food and sports and music, and some things that don't, like diversity programs. The overall lesson I've learned is that those who lead with diversity generally engender strife.

Bubba,
... But... I... Nevermind man. I cannot go there with you anymore.

You said...
"The overall lesson I've learned is that those who lead with diversity generally engender strife."

Thanks for that gem... What?

Peace Bubba

I feel a calling to start a new church with a theme "Christ, Community, Culture" also. It will be "unasamedly" white and it will focus on "white" culture in contrast to the negatives of black culture. If we happen to have links on our church website to the KKK, no one should object because they should instead focus on the positive things our church will accomplish for our race.

Any black person who is offended or disagress with us should be directed to a fluffy YouTube video and asked, "How come nobody seems to be commenting about this side of our church?"