One of the main reasons why I can’t sign on to what has been coined “Being Woke” or “Woke Christianity” is actually because I’ve seen and experienced and lived in genuine unity in Christ among a diverse group of people for almost my entire life.

Let me elaborate in this thread:

I was born in Mount Vernon, NY by two God-fearing, Jamaican immigrant parents. I grew up listening to Grace Thrillers, BJ Thomas, Sandi Patty, Donnie McClurkin, Yolanda Adams, Keith Green, and more. My earliest memories of church was in a Baptist Church, although looking back at

it, they were actually more Pentecostal than anything. I’m talking running up and down the aisle, “speaking in tongues,” women elders, apostles and evangelist as titles, etc. A mixture of American blacks, from the North and South, and Caribbean blacks. And one Hispanic woman.

We left that church when I was about 12yrs old. We started attending a Plymouth Brethren church, which is the denomination my parents grew up in. These were my most formative years as a young Christian, as I learned to read and study and value Christ and His Word for myself.

Predominantly Caribbean blacks at this church, specifically Jamaicans. I left NY and moved to Dubuque, IA when I was 18yrs old for Bible college. White as white can be w/ a few blacks, a fairly decent Hispanic/Latino population & a sprinkling of students from Asia & Africa.

Surprisingly, I learned more about diversity and unity among the body there than I did theology (not because of the college but I was a TERRIBLE student). I had to adapt to eating casseroles and learned that ordering your steak well-done is a sin (joke, but seriously).

I listened to more Chris Tomlin & Fernando Ortega than I cared for. But the fellowship was SO SWEET! From there I’d travel to and from Dahlonega, GA to serve at a camp there. Again, a completely different world where I learned Southerners REALLY like the South & REALLY like guns.

I didn’t know a Clemson Tiger or a Georgia Bulldog existed until then. A new world of grits, weed whacking, and confederate flags on pickup trucks (for some). I ended up meeting my wife there! My best friends either live in Iowa or here in the South.

To end this thread: I’ve lived in 4 different states, been apart of Christian communities that include blacks from America and the Caribbean, Hispanics/Latinos, Asians, and yes, lots of white people, all across the age spectrum from very young meetings to very old & if I wanted,

I can go and visit any single one of these communities and I’d be welcomed AS A BROTHER IN CHRIST, not because of my skin color or my place or origin or my style of clothing or choice in music. All of these communities are vastly different and vary in the things that don’t matter

as much as BEING IN CHRIST. That’s the beauty of what CHRIST HAS DONE. He has taken the things that Satan has twisted as a means of division and has united those of us who belong to Him IN HIMSELF. I want to talk about Christ & what He’s done in your life and let’s talk about how

great and wonderful He is instead of counting how many black, white, Asian, Hispanic people are attending your church. If I walk in your church, you better greet me and hug me with the love of Christ and brother, and that’s it! If you hate me because I’m black, you need to repent

but I’m not going to around and label my white brothers and sisters as racists & oppressors and accuse them of living in sin just because their church doesn’t look the way I think it should. We’ll get there in due time. Let’s continue to stir one another up in the love of Christ.