I love moments that you don't expect to be eye-opening or moving.
Today a few moments like that happened.
A friend of mine asked me to be in a pageant for the "black" sorority here on campus. I've talked a lot about race, and it's a heavy topic, but I really am intrigued by it. I'm going to use the words black and white, because I don't think they should have negative connotations to them, if race is merely something we categorize by color then we should be able to use this words without adding so much heaviness and negativity behind them.
But, signing up for this event, I was a little nervous. At the beginning of the year I noticed that GIRLS (just girls) seem to flock to other girls of their own race. White girls cling to white girls, black girls cling to black girls. It was odd, I didn't really understand it. Coming from home where two of my best friends were black, and coming here I was confused.
As the semester has gone on I've met some amazing girls; some girls are black, some girls are white, I've met a girl who is from Nepal, a girl from India, and the list goes on. But what I really wanted to talk about, is how regardless of all of this, the stereotypes are SO implanted into our heads, that it's hard to hide them.
When my friend asked me about participating in this event, I was nervous. I was the only white girl to be in it, and with the ideas I got from the beginning of the year I expected to walk into a room and feel an instant hostility.
But this wasn't the case. Immediately the girls were welcoming, asking me if I was Becca, joking around about the boys in the room, etc. I was so pleasantly surprised. And if that wasn't enough, the boys who are technically in this pageant, each have a talent, and some of them blew me away.
I've never thought about how churches are somewhat separated by the race that backs them up. I feel like there is the stereotypical white church where we sing hyms and all bore each other today, and there is the stereotypical black church where people sing and clap and have louder services in general.
But, it doesn't matter.
Churches can be separated, races can be separated, but in the end the common love for Jesus Christ reigns in all of them. (Sorry I'm mainly focusing on Christianity because that's all I really know, ha.)
Two of the boys in the group today expressed their love for our Lord in such a powerful way. I've never experienced a "God moment," quite like that one. Being surrounded by people of a different race, and having two boys present their talents in love for their Savior, was amazing.
They didn't do some booty dance, or do a comedy act making fun of people....they gave us a message about how we can step back and nothing will get us through the day like our Lord will.
I was so moved by this. Again, stereotyping right from the start, I was expecting some dumb talent, or a lack of care for religion or Christ at all from this group of people. And I think that's a pretty terrible presumption.
I feel like this opened my eyes in a small and big way. I think I initially thought that there's no way these people could have such strong connections to Christ, because I don't see them in my daily community (church, youth group, etc.). But they do!!! And their faith is so strong...it was extremely inspiring.
I wonder what other ties there are to race and religion besides the focus between black and white "races." There's probably so much more to it, and I'm extremely interested to look more into it.
Again, I've posted about race before, and I apologize for how long this is. I just want to remember how moving and amazing a HUMAN'S faith can be.
Today a few moments like that happened.
A friend of mine asked me to be in a pageant for the "black" sorority here on campus. I've talked a lot about race, and it's a heavy topic, but I really am intrigued by it. I'm going to use the words black and white, because I don't think they should have negative connotations to them, if race is merely something we categorize by color then we should be able to use this words without adding so much heaviness and negativity behind them.
But, signing up for this event, I was a little nervous. At the beginning of the year I noticed that GIRLS (just girls) seem to flock to other girls of their own race. White girls cling to white girls, black girls cling to black girls. It was odd, I didn't really understand it. Coming from home where two of my best friends were black, and coming here I was confused.
As the semester has gone on I've met some amazing girls; some girls are black, some girls are white, I've met a girl who is from Nepal, a girl from India, and the list goes on. But what I really wanted to talk about, is how regardless of all of this, the stereotypes are SO implanted into our heads, that it's hard to hide them.
When my friend asked me about participating in this event, I was nervous. I was the only white girl to be in it, and with the ideas I got from the beginning of the year I expected to walk into a room and feel an instant hostility.
But this wasn't the case. Immediately the girls were welcoming, asking me if I was Becca, joking around about the boys in the room, etc. I was so pleasantly surprised. And if that wasn't enough, the boys who are technically in this pageant, each have a talent, and some of them blew me away.
I've never thought about how churches are somewhat separated by the race that backs them up. I feel like there is the stereotypical white church where we sing hyms and all bore each other today, and there is the stereotypical black church where people sing and clap and have louder services in general.
But, it doesn't matter.
Churches can be separated, races can be separated, but in the end the common love for Jesus Christ reigns in all of them. (Sorry I'm mainly focusing on Christianity because that's all I really know, ha.)
Two of the boys in the group today expressed their love for our Lord in such a powerful way. I've never experienced a "God moment," quite like that one. Being surrounded by people of a different race, and having two boys present their talents in love for their Savior, was amazing.
They didn't do some booty dance, or do a comedy act making fun of people....they gave us a message about how we can step back and nothing will get us through the day like our Lord will.
I was so moved by this. Again, stereotyping right from the start, I was expecting some dumb talent, or a lack of care for religion or Christ at all from this group of people. And I think that's a pretty terrible presumption.
I feel like this opened my eyes in a small and big way. I think I initially thought that there's no way these people could have such strong connections to Christ, because I don't see them in my daily community (church, youth group, etc.). But they do!!! And their faith is so strong...it was extremely inspiring.
I wonder what other ties there are to race and religion besides the focus between black and white "races." There's probably so much more to it, and I'm extremely interested to look more into it.
Again, I've posted about race before, and I apologize for how long this is. I just want to remember how moving and amazing a HUMAN'S faith can be.
