Meeting Diversity, Training and Spiritual Needs

“Could Classism, Racism and Prejudice End?”

Classism and racism could but will not end because it is attached to a fantasy of superiority and as humans we feel the need and desire to be greater than the next individual.” Racism and classism can be eliminated however; this would mean that a person must think of himself or herself as less. There are few differences that can be distinguished between human being that are not skin deep or based on the color of a person’s skin and without the color differential you would be unable to know the difference unless it is stated. "From one man he created all the nations throughout the whole earth. He decided beforehand when they should rise and fall, and he determined their boundaries" (Acts 17:26).

Perhaps this is the very reason that Christ took the time to discuss this issue with the apostles when they were having the dispute about being greater as seen in Luke 9:46,-48, “Then his disciples began arguing about which of them was the greatest. But Jesus knew their thoughts, so he brought a little child to his side. Then he said to them, "Anyone who welcomes a little child like this on my behalf welcomes me, and anyone who welcomes me also welcomes my Father who sent me. Whoever is the least among you is the greatest."

Was Christ showing us that even among those closest to him there was an internal struggle to be superior to the others? Did Christ in his infinite wisdom understand the bias attached to our desire to be more than the next person? Could he have known that this would be a barrier even today?

This appears to be the moment when he gave us specific instructions on God’s feeling regarding the matter. In fact, the great and wonderful counselor even told us something significant about those who do succeed in being great as noted in Mark 10:31, “But many who are the greatest now will be least important then, and those who seem least important now will be the greatest then." This scripture is a reminder that even if we are blessed to achieve, we still have a small role to play and it is not intended to lower our self esteem, yet, it is a reminder to keep God as the focal point or the center and as Christians we must work from that Christ centered, not from bias.

The true reality is people meet God in their own cultural world, however, if Christian organizations create and design an environment in which this meeting can take place in a multicultural environment, growth will occur and God’s message will be able to be delivered and preach to all people.

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