Summer Jaeger writes (and I agree):
I pointed out a few weeks ago the hypocrisy of The Gospel Coalition. On the one hand, they were encouraging churches to expend time and energy finding out just how “diverse” their churches are (not true diversity, mind you, just diversity of skin color) while also hosting an event where only “women of color” could attend.
There was a lot of pushback, and some of that pushback included the claim that of course white women could attend the event specifically for women of color! Well, the group putting this event on have clarified. If you’re white, you can’t sit with us.
The most egregious thing in this article, however, is not the blatant ethnic gnosticism (although I encourage you to be very suspicious of such whenever you see it). It is the blatant twisting of Jesus’s ministry to fit their narrative. The claim that Jesus occasionally discipled some of the Disciples and not others is true. Of course the 12 were not together every moment of Christ’s earthly ministry. But this is decidedly not the same thing as this entity deciding to choose who to disciple based on skin color, who is welcome at their table based on a melanin count–and this is a thing that we must repudiate at every turn.
It shames the name of Christ to divide the body based upon skin color, and spits on the brotherhood he bought us with his very blood when we take Jesus’s own actions and then twist them to fit our agenda. You can only claim to be about building up the body while shutting out part of it because of skin color if you care not one bit for being honest.
We are not called to the look and act like the world does. This event might look and sound very empathetic and caring, but be sure: this kind of “empathy” is a facade. Only a worldly compassion could happily cause such division, all while quoting Scripture and smiling at you.
We are called to be Bereans, to search and know the Scriptures and be able to measure everything up against them. I want no part in any event that requires me to separate from my blood-bought family because we don’t share a skin color.
It’s time to ask yourself something very important: Are our evangelical leaders modeling their ministries and conferences off of Scripture? Are they carefully handling the Scriptures to make their case? Or do you enjoy the feeling of wool on your eyelids?
