Huh?

I'm not really sure where to begin with this idea that I have, because it's all still in the making. But here I am and here you are.

I guess I'll begin with the beginning. When I was in Germany over the summer, one of my teammates shared their testimony about how they have never felt any sort of sense of belonging within the cultures they've experienced and have no choice but to live in. But he found satisfaction in that fact that he belongs in God's Kingdom and that's where his true value and identity is discovered.

After hearing this I really started thinking more clearly about this idea, but the thoughts were dormant until within the recent days when after having my first few sessions of my Native American Literature class, have had race shoved in my face. I've always tried not to give too much credence to race because ultimately, it holds no value although people tend to act like it does. As most who know me know, I'm African-American, aka. black, but I've never been able to culturally identify myself as black because I don't fit the mold. So I've sought to find my identity elsewhere, usually in friends or just a general community. Where would I be without my Christian friends and my Christian bubble? I'm honestly not sure. But however much I try, I'm never fully satisfied there either. This is where life meets God and we realize that He is our identity.

In 1 Peter 2:9 it says, "But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light." And this is exactly what I'm talking about! That we realize who we are in Christ and find our true value in that recognition.

Also, here's where my title comes in, yes I know in 1 Peter it says that we are to be a "race". But this race is above our own understandings of what race is in our society or at least how race is played out in the ways that we live. We hear race and everyone already has this preset of a blanket term for one nationality or another. But I would like to propose that our ideas of race be torn down to more fully welcome in the Kingdom of God. But I don't just mean race, because that's really not my focus here at all, my focus is on where we find our identity and value and learning how to refocus our focus on race or community or whatever group you belong to that you find value in and replace that idea with this, that Christ, the maker of the universe, is longing for you to rest in Him and see who you are according to Him and then to respond accordingly.

All of this to say, this is as far as I've gotten with this idea that God has shown me and I think it's important to hash through this, especially in a group to not only grow ourselves but to possibly show others something that they may have missed before or simply need to hear again. Feedback is more than encouraged but with open arms, welcomed.

thanks!
Alysha