29 July 2022
There is such a thing is wisdom about human fallen nature.
Someone asked a very good question: Why do I strongly recommend against race mixing? It has nothing to do with thinking that other races are dirty or evil. It's just a matter of what's practical. I have visited other countries, and have been in churches there. I've mixed with Asians, Middle Easterners, Africans, and Eastern Europeans. I've found some wonderful friends and spiritual brothers and sisters among them all.
I've also found that you can only take that so far before it starts to create unnecessary tensions. Here in the US, my experience is that black churches do not build from the same theology as white churches. There's no particular friction in the skin color, but the cultural background and associations guarantee conflicts.
Granted, even the most socially and culturally homogeneous churches have frictions. That's not the point. The point is that frictions across multiple cultures are significant sooner or later. Unless some black brother has pickled himself in my white culture, and is roughly a peer in education and experience, he's going to have reflexes and expectations that will eventually force us to part company. This is not a question of doing evil, but it's very high risk.
You have to decide whether your convictions require you to take those risks. It's the same with exogamy (marrying outside your ethnic group) -- it's a high risk choice. It might work out fine by faith, but it's going to be painful and expensive in various ways. There's no way you can avoid the hassles. You should know that before you get stuck in that situation.
I've helped my neighbors where I live with various hassles we all experience in life. I'm friendly with everyone. Recently, one of them got evicted. She's a hooker. She has been quite willing to ply her trade with some of the men who live here, destabilizing one marriage until the man left his wife. I've seen how she acts with men, and I've generally avoided her. I smile and wave, but we don't talk.
It has nothing to do with self-righteousness. I'm no better than her, but when she was moving stuff out of her place, I didn't offer to help. She dressed in a highly provocative manner for this move. I'm not concerned with what others might have thought of me associating with her; I was concerned with how she would have tried to manipulate me for something I'm not willing to do. She is a bottomless pit, using people without conscience. I don't care what she thinks of me; I stayed away for my own safety. The risks were too high.
I stayed away because of my convictions. As always, your convictions rule. You must discern your own boundaries, and build your own testimony of shalom. You have to work out with God what your mission in life is supposed to be. Yes, everyone whom He calls has a mission and calling. This what it means, "work out your salvation with fear and trembling" (Philippians 2:12ff). It's a challenging workout.
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