Yesterday, I had my yearly physical with my family doctor. The good news is that I appear to be in excellent health. The bad news is that, at 75 years old, he is retiring, which means I must find a new doctor.
During our conversation I told him I was now pastoring a church; and I guess since he’s about to retire, he took a little extra time with me and we spoke of spiritual things. As we conversed, he began to reminisce about his childhood, growing up in a rural community in North Carolina. As a Christian, which I certainly believe him to be, he commented on several experiences he remembered, but one, in particular, really stuck out to me.
He told me about a Methodist church located near where he grew up that burned down, and how the church was in great distress because it was going to be a real hardship for them to rebuild. But, he said, there was a local AME church that took it on themselves to raise money to help them rebuild. He said that he had always thought that this was the most wonderful thing; that an African American congregation, especially during those times was, without being asked, willing to work and raise money to help this local white church recover. He also added that it was not like this AME church had a lot of money to begin with. I must admit, when he told me this, I agreed with him, that this was wonderful thing that they did.
Well, he’s been gone from that community for several years. He said that the white church had all but closed their doors and about the only money being given to the ministry now is to support the Cemetery fund there on the church grounds, of which he still contributes.
Well, it would have been nice if that had been the end of the story, but it wasn’t. He said that today, the AME church was a thriving church and they had recently approached the white church and asked if they would consider selling the building to them as it was all but abandoned now during worship time. But, according to the good doctor, those in charge were incensed and indignant, and basically let them know this would not be something they would even consider. You see, the problem is the cemetery; and the fact that they could never consider selling the building to an AME church, with so many of their family members being buried there.
I hesitated to even share this with the church because some might think that I have an agenda, which I do not. Jesus once noted that the second greatest commandment was “to love thy neighbor as thyself.” But a questioner, ‘wanting to justify himself,’ asked Him, “Who is my neighbor?” (Luke 10:27-37) Jesus responded with the parable of the good Samaritan, whom the questioner would have despised, that came to the aid of someone of another race in his desperate time of need, while those his own race had passed him by. In this parable, Jesus basically forced the man to admit that when it comes to doing good, racial prejudice shouldn’t play a factor.
I don’t know how anyone reading this feels on an issue like this, but one day, when we gather around God’s throne, ‘there will be people from every nation, tribe, people and tongues’ with us (Revelation 7:9). With that said, let us, at least with the time we have left, ‘do good to all, especially those of the household of faith.’ (Galatians 6:10)
For God’s glory and His alone,
Pastor Terry.
