Why The Fishbowl on Ethnic Relationships

Why the Fishbowl?

On September 6, 2013 at the McGee Center in Conway, Arkansas I will host The Fishbowl: Ethnic Relationships. The fishbowl was developed by my wife and me to answer questions from young couples concerning questions about life, marriage and all that other good stuff. 

This town-hall in September will focus on ethnic relationships.  Obviously we are all aware of the court case that recently concluded concerning George Zimmerman.  The goal is not to rehash the situation because the jury has rendered its verdict.  The purpose is to discuss, listen and grow as people.  In light of that, I offer three observations.

• The African American community continues to live in a state of cognitive discontent.  There are multiple voices on television, radio, and websites that communicate in such a manner that would lead me to believe America still exists between slavery and 1964. It appears, everything is judged in light of race. Yet this discontent is rarely demonstrated about the self-inflicted devastation that is currently going on. If the African American community values life, it needs to be valued consistently.  I want to know, “Why does the African American community live this way?”    
  

• America does not like African Americans. Tavis Smiley said that the United States, “the life of a black child doesn’t hold the same value of that of a white child. “When Sandy Hook happened, the empathy and the appreciation and the reveling in the humanity of those children was present all over Fox News and every place else – as it should have been. African Americans are not seeing that same kind of empathy and appreciation for the humanity of Trayvon that they saw for the children of Sandy Hook.” Link    America did not kill that young man. A white man did not kill that young man. Yet we are led to believe a white man did and by implication ethnic whites are still trying to keep the “black man down.” I want to know how ethnic whites feel about being continually labeled as the fountain of racism.   

• We are failing to be honest.  President Obama said today we as a nation need to do some “soul searching.”  In the context of his impromptu speech, soul searching requires a very deep and hard moment of honesty.  Each person, each ethnic community simply needs to be honest. 
  

We need to be honest about our sins and prejudices. When we are honest, we are then able to seek justice and forgiveness. True justice requires change within oneself before demanding that change of others. Forgiveness means we set a person free and that will cost us.

At the same time, we need to be honest about the beautiful manifestations of our individual ethnic groups.  These are manifestations that should be celebrated because God has given each group the creativity and ingenuity to do so.

Finally, you may ask, “What is his motivation?” Well I will tell you. I desire to be happy and that happiness is living as a son of God who seeks to be a peacemaker. The Church has the awesome opportunity to serve as an ambassador and mediator of a peace that passes all understanding.  My secondary motivation is simply to serve people by providing all types of people an opportunity to listen and learn.

So, I hope to see you there!