This past month we've (our church) has been in a series entitled 'faith and race'. This has been such an important opportunity for out church to engage our faith and the dynamics of race. We studied and talked about racialization, systemic racism, white priveledge, prejudice, stereotypes... needless to say, these terms have given us much to think about and wrestle with. It is sad to think that the 'church' doesn't address these issues. Thus, contributing to the ignorance and inability to understand the dynamics of race and race relations in the church. How do we begin reconciliation if we don't understand the experiences, history, and perspectives of those around us? A particular piece of text that impacted me was the historical depiction and record of the Native American people. Historically Christianity was used to colonize and enslave people of minority status. Native American's were referred to as 'savages' which gave Christians a means to justify their actions in stripping the Natives of their heritage, culture and identity. As Christians what is our responsibility when we look at the history? How do we share the gospel when the gospel has been used to assimilate 'others' to fit our systemtematic ideologies of norms? If we are truly a community commited to supporting missions and evangelization, how do we preserve and celebrate culture while incorporating the gospel? Typically the gospel has meant 'white' to minority groups of people. How do we communicate Christ's love and grace when historically it's been used to exploit other people?

We've got a lot to think about and process through. My hope is that this series is a catalyst to continue the dialogue and to motivate us to celebrate in our differences.