Lent 36: Candor

I experienced a moment of candor today (for which I am thankful). I was visiting with an international during a community play group for preschoolers. We chatted about where she was from and what brought her here. Love, her husband, a place to raise their family, I was told. So I asked her, "What do you think of this city? And you can be honest." And she was. While she praised our community for its safety, beauty and quiet, she also disclosed her disappointment over the majority's mindset. As a community, we are afraid of diversity, since it seems to threaten what we believe. She went on to state that she once visited a local church where the speaker went on about how Muslims were infiltrating our society and how we better make a stand before they erect a Mosque. "It took everything for me to not get up and leave the service," she pauses and adds, "I don't go to church."

The interesting thing, I, a Christian, could actually relate with her, even though we are of different faiths -- even though I do believe salvation is only found in Jesus Christ.

How could that be?

For years this community has stayed fairly constant with its population. Now it is rising. And our local government aims to grow this city by another 10,000 people in the next 10 years. What does that mean? This means we will see more immigrants, newcomers, internationals and people of different faith entering our city. And while this possibility freaks many people out, I welcome it. These are exciting times for our city! What are we, as the local church, going to do about it? Are we going to shut our church doors out of fear? Are we going to retreat into our homes pretending life is the same as it was fifty years ago? Or are we going to lavish love upon those who are new by opening up our homes and our churches? Are we willing to listen to new perspectives while gently and intelligently sharing our faith?

I hope and pray that I am part of the latter group.

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