We're Together... But We're Not Together

Segregation in America ended in 1964, yet segregation continues to exist within our communities, schools, neighborhoods, and even the workplace. Unfortunately, the most segregated entity is the Body of Christ. So much so that Martin Luther King said, "the most segregated hour of Christian America is eleven o'clock on Sunday morning."

Now hear me when I say I am not ignoring the segregation of communities, schools, neighborhoods, and even the workplace. Those are real issues too. Although I have always said, healing the racial divide in America starts with the body of Christ. As the Body of Christ, we should be leading the way when it comes to permanently abolishing segregated establishments, environments, and mindsets. If we, the general population, can do things outside of the church together, we can certainly fellowship with one another. So how do we, as the Body of Christ, conquer the issue of segregation on Sundays?

Acts 2:42-47 gives us an idea as to how we can get back to a unified church, a unified body. Versus 46 and 47 are what blessed me the most. Acts 2:46 -47 says, “So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart. Praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved”. Before I jump into dissecting this, let's jump to Acts 1:5-11.

In Acts 1:5-11, we see where people of all cultural backgrounds, races, and regions, heard the wonderful works of the Lord in their language, from people who were not like them. Later on, in Acts 2:46, we see they continued to remain with one another, and continued to fellowship and worship God daily in the Temple.  No one was saying, "oh, I need to fellowship daily with my kind, my own culture, my race, etc." The people never said, "I can only eat this meal or that meal, they broke bread together in each other's homes." They set their differences aside and focused on what mattered most in the Body of Christ, fellowshipping, and worshiping Jesus Christ.

You might be reading this and saying to yourself, yeah but the music is different than what I listen to and the way they preach just doesn’t get me hype. If music and the way someone preaches or how they preach is more important than them preaching the word of God, you may want to check yourself before you wreck your soul, because at that point your worship is of man and not Jesus Christ.

I remember when I was in undergrad; I attended a predominately Caucasian United Methodist church. I was the only African American in the whole church. While I didn't look like the people I fellowshipped with, it never bothered me, because I was there to worship God, and that was where God wanted me to be in that season.  I ended up developing lifelong friendships and even adopted a second, amazing, God family that I call my Virginia family.

Acts 2:47 says the people were “praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved. Their praising and worshipping together brought about favor with all, not some, but all people. This verse allows us to see firsthand, when the Body of Christ, puts aside its differences, it brings more people to Salvation. For John said in John 4:23, “Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks”. When we worship the Father in Spirit and Truth. it draws others to genuinely worship Him as well. Regardless of the surrounding environment.

While 14% of modern churches have genuinely diversified their churches, to accurately represent the Body of Christ, 86% of the population has a long way to go. So, I want to challenge you. If you attend a church that is predominantly one race or focuses on one culture, next Sunday, if you can, check  out a church outside of your norm. Instead of focusing on what’s different, focus on why you're there. To come together on one accord praising and worshiping God.

Until next week, stay healthy and safe.

Be Encouraged!