Is Interracial Dating & Marriage Wrong?

Do we really need to talk about this?  

Of course we do!  There have been those who said, "Well, our people are certainly open to interracial relationships."  While I agree that most are, I also know that there are still deep, racial tensions in the good ole south (and north too!).  So this week we'll dive into why those tensions and what The Gospel teaches us on the subject.

While explaining our new series, The Gospel and... to a friend who doesn't attend TVCC, the need for this series was confirmed.  As we discussed the purpose of the series and the topic for this weekend, she said she loved how we at TVCC dealt with real-life struggles people were dealing with in 2015.  While we were discussing these issues, two members who are very active volunteer leaders from TVCC joined in the conversation.  One of the men was white, the other black.  As we talked, reference was made to a racist stance that I thought was long dead, about black men being in Big Sandy after dark.  (If you're not a Henry or Benton County native, there used to be a sign at the Benton County line stating such!  No kidding! I saw it as a teenager.)

What my friend said next confirmed the need to teach this message:  "That actually happened to me...recently!"  I was floored, I was angry, I wanted to call  the fire of God down on somebody.  But the bottom line?  I was hurt; sickened for my friend.  Oh yes, racism is alive and well!  However, so is God, and He has the power and capacity to heal all.  As the song says that we learned as children:

Red and yellow
Black and white
They are precious
In His sight.
Jesus loves the little children
of the world.

We'll talk about that this weekend as we continue in our series, The Gospel and...

Pastor Steve