So what does this Anti-Racist church we are seeking looking like?  Do you have a vision for that?  What is the perfect picture that we are looking at painting?  Often as I sit in meetings for Mennonite Church USA the question is asked, “Why are we so white?”  The question puzzles me.  In some ways the question is a good one and in some ways the question troubles me.  Are we simply looking to add color to the church or are we looking for something more to truly become an antiracist church.  Here are a several models for you to ponder.

The Crayon Model
To many a box of Crayola crayons would be a metaphor for the ideal church.  There are many different colors of equal size and shape.  But is that what we really want?  Is that the type of diversity we are seeking?  Isn’t a box of crayons just many shades of the same.

The Fondue Model
Maybe a fondue is a better example of the ideal church.  Get yourself a big old pot, throw in some cheddar cheese, add some asiago, and maybe a little provolone.  What do you have?  You have a nice cheesy pot of goodness all mixed together.  You have hints of the original, but a brand new taste.  You have something new and exciting, but not many characteristic of the original remain.

The Gumbo Model
What if we think about the ideal church as a gumbo?  You have your sausage, your chicken, your shrimp, and your Louisiana holy trinity (onion, bell pepper, and celery) all chopped up and united in a delicious roux.  While the roux and seasonings bring everything together, you can still taste the sausage and you can feel the texture of the trinity in each mouth full.  Each element brings something to the dish.  Each ingredient independently holds on to the essence of what it is, but the roux brings it all together.  The interesting thing about gumbo is that alone the roux is pretty bland and unpalatable until it combined with other elements of the gumbo.  All the ingredients come together to make a fantastic and unique dish.

The  Dinner Plate Model
Should your vision of an antiracist church be more like a dinner plant?  On this side you have you turkey, next to that you have some cranberry sauce, a little potato salad in the middle, and maybe some green beans.  Everything is on the same plate, but everything has its own section.  Naturally, during the course of a meal, things on your dinner plate begin to run together.  The cranberry sauce turns the potato salad pink.  The pot liquor of the green beans oozes all over the plate and touches everything.   Your bread gets a little soggy on the bottom, but the top is still warm and crusty.  Each element of the meal is separate and distinct, but somehow the unity of that shared plates brings the foods in close enough proximity that a natural comingling of flavors occur.

Whew, now that I have gotten myself good and hungry I want you to think about what being Anti-Racist means to you.  Mennonite Church USA has a statement that says, “We will honor the dignity and value of all Racial/Ethnic people, ensuring just and equitable access to church resources, positions and information as manifestations of one new humanity in Christ.”  Does that ultimately mean our church should be like more like crayons, gumbo, fondue, or the dinner plate?  I am not sure.  Maybe it should have elements for each.  One thing for sure is that we still have work to do.   We need to work on systems and bring about change.  Let’s not get bogged down in politics, political correctness, and window dressing.  Let’s work together for equality and prayerfully we can have a church that is full of color, flavor, and down home goodness.