I was "on the go" for most of a month which makes it a challenge to stay up on current events and other news. Actually, a news sabbath isn't a bad idea from time to time. But a story out of the States did catch my attention. The couple seen above Charles and Te'Andrea Wilson was married recently, by their pastor, but not in their church. It seems that some members of the Mississippi congregation --white-- objected to the ceremony happening in their church because the couple is black. In the 150 year history of the congregation no African-American couple had been married there, and they weren't going to start now.
Since then the pastor and governing body of the congregation have apologized for their blatantly racist decision, but not directly to the couple. They insist they are a welcoming community which is obviously not true. The couple has since left. Good, but sad for them.
It's hard to believe this could happen in 2012, but it does remind us that racism is still a reality in our supposedly enlightened culture. Of course we shouldn't be too self-righteous. As I have said before, we are a pretty pasty bunch ourselves and the only congregation in Bowmanville with a significant number of people of colour is the Seventh Day Adventist church. I wonder how we might respond if there was a sudden influx of folk with different coloured skin, or perhaps from a different cultural background.
Since then the pastor and governing body of the congregation have apologized for their blatantly racist decision, but not directly to the couple. They insist they are a welcoming community which is obviously not true. The couple has since left. Good, but sad for them.
It's hard to believe this could happen in 2012, but it does remind us that racism is still a reality in our supposedly enlightened culture. Of course we shouldn't be too self-righteous. As I have said before, we are a pretty pasty bunch ourselves and the only congregation in Bowmanville with a significant number of people of colour is the Seventh Day Adventist church. I wonder how we might respond if there was a sudden influx of folk with different coloured skin, or perhaps from a different cultural background.
Back in the 1960's Martin Luther King Jr. observed that "it is appalling that the most
segregated hour of Christian America is eleven o'clock on Sunday morning." We can all do some soul-searching about what our sanctuaries look like when we worship.
segregated hour of Christian America is eleven o'clock on Sunday morning." We can all do some soul-searching about what our sanctuaries look like when we worship.
Do you think we would be open and inclusive if we became more diverse in ethnicity and race and colour? What is your response to the story out of Mississippi?
Wow.
ReplyDeleteNineteen-fifty five called. It wants its world view back.
In 1996/7 we lived in Jackson Mississippi. At that time the government of Mississippi passed a law saying slavery was illegal. Also the government of Mississippi passed a law that every citizen must have a gun in homes. It was an interesting time. My son was 5/6 old at the time. When we got back home to Ontario, a friend asked him "You must of seen lots of coloured people living down there"?! He was really upset with us that we didn't show the "red, purple. green" etc. people. Times have changed. He didn't understand, that "coloured people meant "Black'" I took him to some churches, some all black, wonderful music, some all white, very formal. All in all a interesting view into life in Mississippi.
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