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ember/October 20 sK f For Richer or Poorer nan Beads and Feathers ticultural Church of Jesus HEART TO HEART The Multicultural Church of Jesus How do we feel about this multicultural flavour of our church? and later became the apostle to the Fanguage is a major barrier for Gentiles. some. Others, by lack of recognized Eighteen centuries later, the small degrees or Canadian experience, group that came out of the great have a tough time entering the job disappointment was once again market. Many are victims of challenged by the same gospel prejudice, their own and others’. commission. After struggling with These factors make immigrants the early “shut door” view, they crave for acceptance, and the church were faced with the mandate of provides that ideal place where they Matthew 28:18-20 and Revelation find a sense of belonging. Immigrants, 14:6. How could anyone fathom in general, and recent immigrants, in by Nit to n Amorim, that these few individuals, with particular, are usually more open to president of the limited education and financial the gospel than nationals. Because of Quebec Conference resources, could reach out to the their need for acceptance, they are whole world? From a human often a field ready for the harvest. hey were just a few in the perspective, this was an impossible The SDA Church in Canada upper room; uneducated, mission. So they rationalized that reflects the multicultural dimension T from the same ethnic group, they had in their own country of this country. In developing speaking the same language, with a (U.S.A.) people coming from differ countries, the church has a more very parochial mentality. Yet their ent nations, and by reaching them, uniform face. Immigration has master had cast a great vision for they were reaching out to all nations. brought a rich multicultural flavour them — to “go to the whole world Fortunately, that short-sighted and to the church in Canada. However, and make disciples of all nations.” distorted view was soon corrected, the question still remains: How In the book of Revelation, this vision and the gospel commission was taken successful have we been in reaching is broadened to include “every at its face value. Soon, missionaries out to immigrants in this country? nation, and tribe, and tongue and were sent out and today our church How do we feel about this multi people.” Revelation 14:6No one on has reached many nations, tribes, cultural flavour of our church? Do this planet was to be excluded. This tongues and peoples. We can boast we embrace it joyfully as a miniature vision implied an action — Go. It of a multiracial, multiethnic, multi- of what Jesus wanted His church to required an intentional movement to tongued, 11 million member church be, or shun its diversity and feel reach out to other people. It also that continues to grow. Although threatened by its rapid growth? The implied overcoming prejudices. the mission is a long way from being GC Session in Toronto provided not Prejudices are bidirectional. They completed, one can marvel at what only the true face of the Adventist encompass our own and others biases. has been accomplished thus far. church, but the realization of Jesus’ The Jewish nation had prejudices Canada is a country of immigrants. vision for His church. There is about other people. As Jews, the Thousands of individuals — Adventist beauty in diversity. The multicultural apostles were first to overcome their members among them — immigrate church in Canada is the miniature own prejudices before they could every year to Canada. Some of these version, and the GC Session in help individuals from other nations Adventist immigrants form ethnic Toronto was an enlarged version of overcome theirs. They also needed to churches with the purpose of Jesus’ final triumphant church. The adapt the message in such a way that reaching out to those of the same God of diversity awaits to hear from it would be grasped by those with ethnic or language group. Immigrants the sea of glass the choir of the different world views. It was not an face similar challenges — a different redeemers singing the song of Moses easy task for them. They had to face language (for some), a different and the Famb. In that choir there their own biases in accomplishing culture, a different world view, and will be people from “every nation, this mission. Some were more suc the loneliness that comes from being and tribe, and tongue and people.” cessful than others. Peter, reluctantly far away from family and friends. To Jesus’ vision for the church will be and in a rather awkward manner, be accepted in the Canadian society, realized. The few in the upper room was the first to reach out to the and to ultimately break through the have become the “great multitude” Gentile world. Paul followed suit job market, is a challenging task. of Revelation. ■ 2 September/October 2000 Messenger MULTICULTURAL FEATURE For Richer or Poorer by Beverley Connors, vice-president of CHER Board of Directors It is customary, and sometimes useful, to refer to that plagues the region. He is learning a better way, that persons geographically — Finns or Aussies, Sri Lankans transcends the cycle of revenge and violence. or Tongans. But since everyone gifted with life shares the Alejandro, a Bolivian boy now 12 years old, began to same basic DNA, it might be helpful to sweep away all misbehave after his mother died. Lured to life on the geo-political designations, and call us Terrans, Earth streets by older boys, he began taking drugs, which were People, Third Rockers. readily available. His father found him and brought him It is habitual, and sometimes useful, to refer to persons home, but physically abused him, which made him run economically, as rich or poor, the haves and have-nots. away again. This pattern was repeated over several years, But since everyone gifted with a glimmer of God shares until he came to the attention of a worker at Cerenid, a the humbling certainty that all are His and all is His, it CHER-sponsored outreach which takes street kids to a might be helpful to sweep away all economic designations safe haven in a rural setting. There they receive schooling, and call us by a relational term — brothers and sisters, a chance to learn a trade, and loving bandages for their members of the family, kin. wounded and reckless hearts. Alejandro doesn’t have a The Old Testament is full of urgings sponsor yet, but the school director hopes that someone that God’s people “do justice.” What will want to play a part in reclaiming this hurt child who that means, at bottom, is that we try to is just learning to read and write at an age when most make this planet a more level playing North American children are as fluent as their parents. field, where what the “haves” actually In Ontario, a small business encourages its employees have is an opportunity to know real to fund the education of dozens of kids in Malawi, where joy by serving as conduits for the CHER sponsors support 300 of the little ones that to grace of God. Him belong. Letters and drawings done by the children CHER (Children’s Health, are posted on the bulletin board, along with photographs Education and Relief) is a group of sombre or smiling faces with hope in their eyes. of “ciwie Sewies,” lay persons In Mexico, a father abandons his children on city working through Adventist mission streets, but a government worker has heard of the structures to make a difference in remarkable work of Hogar de Refugio Infantil Villa young lives. There is a lovely flow Juarez, an Adventist orphanage run by Bob and Annette between those in need and those Mason of Peachland, B.C. Today the children live there, Sparkling eyes and laughter whQ know their need to help, and have a good chance at a positive future. reflect the changed life of this j uli ¡s a 7_year_0ld Bangladeshi In Saskatchewan, an elderly couple whose children are child rescued by Cerenid girl. In her picture, she stands at grown, write to a little girl in a remote village in the attention, with her toes pointed straight ahead. Her Philippines, and the ties that bind grow longer and stronger. teachers describe her as good in her studies and regular in 2 Corinthians 9 has a lot to say about attitudes attendance, but a mischievous child, with spark and spirit. toward other Terrans, other members of the family. The This is encouraging, a small wonder, for her parents are Message paraphrase gives a new zing to the old familiar illiterate and numbingly needy. Her father is an occasional phrases, jolts and tenderizes hearts that are weary from labourer who cannot provide for his family each day. the bombardment of the out-stretched hands of the poor Juli’s application for CHER sponsorship had this poignant that we have with us always. Listen. “I want each of you note from the assessing caseworker, “Sometimes (the to take plenty of time to think it over, and make up your family) spend the whole day by starving.” Juli is fortunate own mind about what you will give. That will protect that a Canadian family finds joy spending $20 a month you against sob stories and arm-twisting. God loves it on this child, guaranteeing her education at a church when the giver delights in the giving.” school where she receives one nutritious meal a day, and What an exciting thing to be part of a group that all her school supplies.