The Christian Ghetto
The word "ghetto" has many connotations; most of which are negative. We often think of inner city areas populated by the economically disadvantaged and minorities. A hundred years ago, Jews were forced into ghettos across Europe.
I think much of evangelical Christianity has developed a ghetto mentality. We take great pains to avoid anything that is un-Christian. Think about this: you can enter a Christian preschool, and eventually earn a doctorate without ever having taken a class from a pagan.
We have created our own schools, play groups, softball leagues, bookstores, publishing companies, movie companies and other stuff. You can coast through life without ever having any meaningful contact with someone who isn't a Christian.
Sure we may not live next to the people that come to our church, but do have any meaningful contact with the people that live next door and don't attend our, or any other, church?
Whatever happened to being "salt and light" in our world? You don't need a floodlight when the sun is shining. Beef jerky doesn't need more salt.
We are to be light in our dark world, not the our enclave that has already received the light. Salt, as a preservative, does no good to preserve meat that is already preserved.
Church, let's bust out of the walls of our cloistered community and be salt and light in our world.
1 comment:
I hear your cry and my thoughts jumped to the awful Elvis song "In the Ghetto" which, strangely enough applies to this. The suburban evangelical church has distanced itself from society to the point that we don't know what is going on in the real ghetto because we are in our own ghetto.
As the snow flies
On a cold and gray chicago mornin
A poor little baby child is born
In the ghetto
And his mama cries
cause if theres one thing that she dont need
Its another hungry mouth to feed
In the ghetto
People, dont you understand
The child needs a helping hand
Or hell grow to be an angry young man some day
Take a look at you and me,
Are we too blind to see,
Do we simply turn our heads
And look the other way
Well the world turns
And a hungry little boy with a runny nose
Plays in the street as the cold wind blows
In the ghetto
And his hunger burns
So he starts to roam the streets at night
And he learns how to steal
And he learns how to fight
In the ghetto
Then one night in desperation
A young man breaks away
He buys a gun, steals a car,
Tries to run, but he dont get far
And his mama cries
As a crowd gathers round an angry young man
Face down on the street with a gun in his hand
In the ghetto
As her young man dies,
On a cold and gray chicago mornin,
Another little baby child is born
In the ghetto
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