I introduced myself to Kathy. She and her daughter, Melissa, were visiting one of Melissa’s friends. They were decidely out of their comfort zone. They were in a room full of Korean kids in a Korean church. I had a 5 minute conversation with her and learned that she attended a church in a nearby town. Also, I learned that she and her daughter had attended this same event the year prior.

After the service was over, I saw Kathy and Melissa again (it wasn’t hard to pick them out) and exchanged pleasantries and platitudes. After this very brief encounter, she paused and looked away and had a look on her face as if she was debating whether she should say what she wanted to. She looked at me again and said, “Do you know that you are the only person that has ever come to me and introduced yourself to me? And we came last year, too!” My heart sank. I felt sorry on behalf of Christians and on behalf of Koreans. She commented further that “it was okay, since we’re Christian, but you would just think that when some comes into a place like this, they would be welcomed.” There might be an explanation, but there is no excuse.

Christians are called the Salt of the Earth and the Light of the World. It is part and parcel to one’s identity in Christ. However, too often, in the name of comfort or laziness, we allow ourselves to be convinced that we don’t need to try or that it won’t matter. It’s called Xenophobia, or “the fear of other”.

One part of the vision of the church that I serve at is to “Reflect all-around through Life.” That means to take the Worship, Evangelism and Love and reflect it all-around to all people, regardless of race, age, tax bracket, sexual preference, or educational or professional experience. Each week, there are people that are not Asian that attend our church. Also, we have joint service from time to time with our morning congregation which is very ethnically diverse and significant more chronogically endowed (read: older). Sadly, too often their experience is one that seems just like Kathy’s. They eat by themselves with other people that are like them. There is no reaching the “other”.

However, as Christians, our model for ministry is none other than Christ himself,

“Who, being in very nature God,
did not consider equality with God something to be grasped,
but made himself nothing,
taking the very nature of a servant,
being made in human likeness.
And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself
and became obedient to death—
even death on a cross!” (Philippians 2:6-8)

Christ was willing to relinquish his natural rights (rights due him because of his divine nature) in order to reach those that were “other”, namely, me and you. Who do you reach? Who is “other” for you in your life? We’re having a Tell Someone Sunday on 11/25. I hope that we lay aside our Xenophobia and tell “others”, talk to “others” and reach “others” for Christ.