How did Jesus handle differences?

Jon Styer

Walter Ghant and Deanna Durham share their experiences with diversity.

A panel discussion in Common Grounds on Tuesday evening emphasized that Jesus worked through differences by developing relationships with people. The panelists used examples of Jesus' teachings to discuss racism and diversity in the church and American culture.

Will Hairston of EMU's Physical Plant; Deanna Durham, EMU's Community Learning Coordinator; Don Clymer, Director of the Cross Cultural program and Spanish professor; and Walter Ghant, Pastor of First Baptist Church in Harrisonburg, spoke on their interracial experiences in church and society as part of Martin Luther King / Spiritual Life Week, presented by Multicultural Services and Campus Ministries.

"Is genuine reconciliation possible?...Are we still dancing around issues of power and leadership?...Has the church bought into cultural racism? Is this living out the radical gospel?" The panelists discussed these questions and the fact that churches are generally divided into "black churches" and "white churches," which proves that American Christianity has still not overcome cultural messages of racism. The panelists emphasized that Jesus challenged structure and power.

While working with inner-city youth in Washington, D.C., Durham realized that she only saw the world one way. She finally learned to understand that there are multiple ways to see the world, and that she needs to embrace and appreciate those viewpoints, as Jesus would.

Clymer described an MCC Board meeting where African-American representatives reported that drugs were a big issue in the community. After a long silence, Amish members spoke up and explained their own drug-related issues. As the communities shared their struggles, they saw similarities and were able to help each other. "When power is given up, positive things happen," said Clymer.

Forgiveness is a concept that Jesus reiterated multiple times in the New Testament. Hairston experienced forgiveness when his black descendants of his ancestors' slaves contacted him for genealogical information. As they conversed and got to know each other, these black "relatives" invited his father to be the guest speaker at their family reunion. Hairston struggled with accepting the forgiveness with grace.

Ghant described his struggle as a black man to understand and work within white culture. He said, "For anyone to be successful in America, they have to understand and learn how to work within the dominant white culture." The problem is that whites do not think they need to understand black culture. When this changes, progress can be made.

As a plan of action, Melody Pannell, Director of Multicultural Services at EMU, reminds students to not stress out about the big issues, but rather follow Jesus' example and establish diverse, individual relationships.