Ecclesiology

Standing among the other dancers in the studio, I aligned my body in first position (heels together and toes pointed out.) Sternums lifted, lengthening through the back of our knees, we  spoke together: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment.” And then stretching one pointed toe to the right, lowering the heel, recentering weight between each foot, heels now shoulder-width apart in the second position of ballet, we continued: “and the second is like it.

It is a primary belief of reformed Christians that God is at work in the world healing that which is broken and calling all Christians to participate in God’s redemption of the world.

I recall a conversation with a friend from my Calvin Seminary days. He was a Calvin College student. I went over the college since I was one of two African Americans at the seminary in the late 1980’s. My friend was a biracial child, who along with his sister adopted into a wonderful white Christian Reformed family in Grand Rapids. He shared with me the struggles his parents encountered when they wanted to baptize both children into the faith at their church.

When people hear that I am a RCA Mission Partner Personnel (“missionary”) who is working to address human trafficking and commercial sexual exploitation, I sometimes believe  that they think I am working in some far-off country, perhaps in the Global South. In fact, I work in partnership with a charity in southern Ontario that is striving to provide transitional housing for survivors.

Defend immigrants and welcome strangers are prominent Biblical calls. Yet, a 2010 Pew Forum survey reports that 88% of white Evangelicals’ views on immigration are primarily influenced by concerns other than Christian faith. Only 16% of white evangelicals had heard about immigration from their pastor or other clergy.  

An all-star line-up of theologians and pastors will be speaking at this conference at Calvin College November 20-21--N.T. Wright, Christopher J. H. Wright, Michael W. Goheen, Darrel L. Guder, etc.