John Piper on Interracial Marriage

I tried to embed the video of John Piper's sermon on this topic earlier today, but I could not get it to start at the beginning. So I'm linking to the video and the sermon notes. Hopefully, this will work better. The link is below:

Racial Harmony and Interracial Marriage

A Birthday Letter to My Son

Dear Christopher,

Tomorrow will mark your 8th birthday. With that in mind, I would like to share a few thoughts about your birth and adoption. You may not completely understand everything that I am writing today, but someday you will.

First, I want you to know that God answers prayers. Your birth and adoption were the answer to 9 years of prayer by your mother and myself. We had hoped and prayed for a long time for your arrival. God was preparing us to become your parents, while teaching us patience and perseverance during those years of waiting. Then God answered our prayers with the son of our dreams.

Second, your birth and adoption crossed racial barriers. You were born on the day after Martin Luther King Jr. Day in 2003 to a young black woman who chose a childless white husband and wife to be your parents. It was appropriate that you came into our lives on the day after a day set apart in our country to honor the memory of the man who had dreamed of racial barriers being broken.

Third, your birth and adoption signified the value of choosing life over abortion. You were born the day before the 30th anniversary of the Supreme Court's Roe v. Wade decision legalizing all abortions in the United States. Your birthmother made a brave decision in choosing adoption over abortion in her situation. We have been honored to have been entrusted with protecting, nurturing, and helping to shape your life ever since.

Finally, I want you to know that Christopher means Christ-bearer. We were unaware of the meaning of your name when we chose it, but we look forward to seeing how you will live out its meaning. We pray that you will follow Christ closely all the days of your life, and take him with you wherever you go.

Christopher, you are a special child. You are loved. You are blessed and a blessing.

Love,
Daddy

How a White Man Should Talk About Abortion to a Black Audience

Last week on his blog, Thabiti Anyabwile criticized the way white people approach the topic of abortion in front of black audiences. In a comment, I asked him how a white man like myself should approach the topic. This link is his excellent response:

How I Would Talk About Abortion and Slavery to an African American Audience Were I a White Man

Truth in Blogging

If you have read my blog for very long, you will not be surprised by anything that I am about to share. But I thought it might be a good idea to write a few words about myself and my perspectives so that any reader would know where I'm coming from theologically and socially.

My Theology

I am a member of the Church of Christ. My theology can be best described as conservative evangelical. I don't try to be innovative in doctrine. I try to be accurate and biblically orthodox. For example,

I believe in the doctrine of the trinity. I believe that the Father, the Son (Jesus Christ), and the Holy Spirit are (or is) God. (I'm not sure how to write that sentence in a grammatically correct way.) I believe that God is all-powerful, all-knowing, always present in his creation, and completely holy in his character.

I believe that God created the universe as it is revealed in Genesis. I believe that he prepared the earth for people in six days. I believe that he made Adam and Eve in his image from the dust of the ground on the sixth day.

I believe that Satan tempted Eve. I believe that the sin of Adam led to the corruption of a good universe and to the alienation between God and man.

I believe in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. I believe that he needed to die in my place in order to turn away God's just wrath against me and sinners like me. His resurrection gives me confidence that his Father accepted his sacrifice on my behalf.

I believe that I am saved by God's grace (as seen in Christ's death, burial, and resurrection) through faith (in Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior) apart from any work on my part that could cause anyone to think that I deserved to be saved.

I believe that the Holy Spirit lives in God's church today. I believe that he is active in making believers more like Jesus.

I believe that the Holy Spirit inspired the words of the Bible. I believe that the Bible was given to humanity as God's completely accurate message to us...without error because God is completely honest and completely competent.

I believe that repentant believers in Christ need to be baptized, because we need to identify with the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ. We need to be able to mark the end of our lives without Christ and the beginning of our lives with Christ.

I believe that Christ's church consists all repentant baptized believers who are committed to following Jesus Christ and glorifying God.

I believe that Jesus Christ will return and usher in new heavens and a new earth that will be the home of righteousness. The Day of Judgment will come. Heaven and hell are equally real and equally eternal.

My Social Concerns

This will be much shorter.

I am concerned about loving people. According to Jesus, it's the second greatest commandment (behind loving God).

I concentrate on loving the people around me first. I want to be a good husband, father, son, brother, employee, neighbor, citizen, and church member.

Then, I focus on broader social concerns that affect people. Many of my posts will reveal that I think a lot about abortion, adoption, caring for God's creation, poverty, racial harmony, and strengthening marriages and families.

If anyone was confused about where I'm coming from, I hope this helps. I try to be honest and open.

Happy Birthday, Christopher

I posted this 3 years ago on the day before Christopher's 4th birthday. I am re-posting it today, a few days before his 7th birthday. I have changed it in order to reflect his 7th birthday instead of his 4th.

Thursday will mark your 7th birthday, Christopher. With that in mind, I would like to share a few thoughts about your birth and adoption. You will not be able to understand everything that I am writing today, but someday you will.

First, I want you to know that God answers prayers. Your birth and adoption were the answer to 9 years of prayer by your mother and myself. We had hoped and prayed for a long time for your arrival. God was preparing us to become your parents, while teaching us patience and perseverance during those years of waiting. Then God answered our prayers with the son of our dreams.

Second, your birth and adoption crossed racial barriers. You were born on the day after Martin Luther King Jr. Day in 2003 to a young black woman who chose a childless white husband and wife to be your parents. It was appropriate that you came into our lives on the day after a day set apart in our country to honor the memory of the man who had dreamed of racial barriers being broken.

Third, your birth and adoption signified the value of choosing life over abortion. You were born the day before the 30th anniversary of the Supreme Court's Roe v. Wade decision legalizing all abortions in the United States. Your birthmother made a brave decision in choosing adoption over abortion in her situation. We were honored to be entrusted with protecting, nurturing, and helping to shape your life ever since.

Finally, I want you to know that Christopher means Christ-bearer. We were unaware of the meaning of your name when we chose it, but we look forward to seeing how you will live out its meaning. We pray that you will follow Christ closely all the days of your life, and take him with you wherever you go.

Christopher, you are a special child. You are loved. You are blessed and a blessing.

Love,
Daddy

Martin Luther King, Jesus Christ, and the Dream

This is my planned communion meditation for the Contact Church on Sunday, January 17, 2010.

Nearly 50 years ago, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. spoke these words:

"I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: 'We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.'

"I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia, the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood...

"I have a dream that one day...in Alabama little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers."

Nearly 2000 years ago, Jesus Christ spoke these words:

"All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations..." (Matthew 28:18-19).

When Christ told his apostles to "make disciples of all nations," he was instructing them to welcome people from all ethnic groups into his band of disciples. In fact, the original Greek word for nations could be translated ethnic groups.

Before his death and resurrection, Jesus had said, "And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself" (John 12:32). He knew that his death on the cross would bring all kinds of people--Jewish people and Gentile people-- to his side.

Jesus Christ had a dream of bringing together people from a variety of ethnic groups as brothers and sisters in his Father's family.

Tomorrow, we will celebrate the memory of Dr. King, the man who changed America with his message of racial harmony and justice.

But today, as we observe the Lord's Supper, we can look around and see the impact that Jesus Christ has had on our lives. As black people, white people, Latinos, Creeks, and Cherokees, we celebrate the memory of the man who died and was resurrected in order to reconcile us to God and to each other.

Who Are God's Chosen People?

For some reason, I have been asked this question three times by extended family members during the past week. I am not raising this question in order to be controversial. Nor am I raising it in order to resolve all the problems surrounding the Israeli-Arab conflict. (I do not even know all of the issues involved in their conflict.) I am addressing it because I have been asked about it a number of times over the last few days, and because my understanding of the identity of God's chosen people seems to be new to many people.

I believe that God's chosen people include both Jewish and Gentile believers in Christ (the Messiah). In the past, the Jewish people alone were considered God's chosen people. However, Jesus expanded the composition of the chosen people to include both Jewish and Gentile believers. As the apostle Paul wrote, "In him (Christ) we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will, in order that we, who were the first to hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory. And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession--to the praise of his glory" (Ephesians 1:11-14). In effect, Paul was saying that God's chosen people are those who have "heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation," have "believed," and have received the Holy Spirit as "a seal...guaranteeing our inheritance."

The apostle went on to write, "Therefore, remember that formerly you who are Gentiles by birth and called 'uncircumcised' by those who call themselves 'the circumcision' (that done in the body by the hands of men)--remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ. For he himself is our peace, who has made the two one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, by abolishing in his flesh the law with its commandments and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new man out of the two, thus making peace, and in this one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility...Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God's people and members of God's household...This mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus" (Ephesians 2:11-16; 2:19; 3:6).

Also, please notice the point made by the apostle Paul when he wrote, "You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise" (Galatians 3:26-29).

In Romans 9-11, Paul expresses his desire for all of Israel to be saved. He explains that many have abandoned God by refusing to believe in their Messiah, but he also expresses the hope that they will return to their God in the future. In the meantime, the believing Jewish people remain the remnant of people in a covenant with God, and believing Gentiles have been "grafted" into the covenant relationship with God through their trust in Jesus the Messiah.

In Christ, God has brought together Jews and Gentiles as believers. Together, they constitute God's chosen people. The chosen people are defined by their faith, rather than their ethnic backgrounds, cultures, or heritages.

(Although my understanding may seem new to many people, I believe it is as old as the New Testament. Furthermore, I am not alone in seeing God's chosen people as Jewish and Gentile followers of Christ. Please see the works of scholars like Dr. John Piper, pastor of Bethlehem Baptist Church in Minneapolis, for similar views. One of his sermons--www.desiringgod.org/ResourceLibrary/Sermons/ByDate/1992/810_Israel_and_Us_Reconciled_in_One_Body/-- would be an excellent place to start.)

Happy Birthday, Christopher

I posted this 2 years ago on the day before Christopher's 4th birthday. I am re-posting it today on the day before his 6th birthday.

Tomorrow will mark your 4th birthday, Christopher. With that in mind, I would like to share a few thoughts about your birth and adoption. You will not be able to understand everything that I am writing today, but someday you will.

First, I want you to know that God answers prayer. Your birth and adoption were the answer to 9 years of prayer by your mother and myself. We had hoped and prayed for a long time for your arrival. God was preparing us to become your parents, while teaching us patience and perseverance during those years of waiting. Then God answered our prayers with the son of our dreams.

Second, your birth and adoption crossed racial barriers. You were born on the day after Martin Luther King Jr. Day in 2003 to a young black woman who chose a childless white husband and wife to be your parents. It was appropriate that you came into our lives on the day after a day set apart in our country to honor the memory of the man who had a dream of racial barriers being broken.

Third, your birth and adoption signified the value of choosing life over abortion. You were born the day before the 30th anniversary of the Supreme Court's Roe v. Wade decision legalizing all abortions in the United States. Your birth mother made a brave decision in choosing adoption over abortion in her situation. We were honored to be entrusted with protecting, nurturing, and helping to shape your life ever since.

Finally, I want you to know that Christopher means Christ-bearer. We were unaware of the meaning of your name when we chose it, but we look forward to seeing how you will live out its meaning. We pray that you will follow Christ closely all the days of your life, and take him with you wherever you go.

Christopher, you are a special child. You are loved. You are blessed and a blessing.

Love,
Daddy

Race and Churches of Christ

Bobby Ross has written a good series about race and Churches of Christ in the latest edition of the Christian Chronicle. At www.christianchronicle.org/article2158476~Leaders_tackle_questions_on_race_and_the_church, Bobby interviewed 4 leaders from racially integrated Churches of Christ. I found B.D. Holt Sr.'s answer to the third question the most fascinating, as he explained the historical development of different worship styles among black and white congregations. At the bottom of Bobby's article, you will find links to the other articles in the series.

Racism

(After my last post, my blogging buddy Mitchell Skelton asked me to write an article about racism and the church. The following post is my attempt to provide the article for him. Thanks for the request, Mitchell!)

Across millennia, the people of God have faced the problem of racism in their midst. Moses dealt with racial prejudice within his family "because of the Ethiopian woman whom he had married" (Numbers 12:1, New King James Version). When the apostle Peter began to practice racial segregation because of peer pressure, the apostle Paul "opposed him to his face, because he was clearly in the wrong" (Galatians 2:11). In American society, a racially integrated church has been the exception, rather than the rule, throughout our history.

Why is racism wrong? Fundamentally, racism is wrong because it's an insult against God.

"God created man in his own image,
in the image of God he created him;
male and female he created them" (Genesis 1:27).

As a descendant of Adam, Eve, Noah, and his wife, every person on earth enjoys the family heritage of being made in the image of God. Each person is special to God. Everyone is valuable to him. When we devalue a person based on race, we are insulting and devaluing the Creator.

In addition, racism interferes with Christ's mission in the world. "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life" (John 3:16). God does not leave out white people, black people, American Indians, Hispanics, Asians, or any other racial group. His Son died for all kinds of people. When Jesus sent his church into the world with his message of eternal life, he commissioned his people to "make disciples of all nations" (Matthew 28:19). Literally, he told us to "make disciples of all ethnic groups". Racism stands in the way as a major obstacle to fulfilling the will of God among our neighbors.

What can Christians do about racism? First, we must become aware of the problem. Few white Christians may realize that racial minorities carry a social burden unknown to the majority. Minorities will be suspected of causing problems and committing crimes simply because of their race. A young black man will be more likely to face disciplinary problems in school because of his race. He will be more likely to be pulled over by the highway patrol. He may be innocent, but he will be suspected of wrongdoing. Few minority Christians may realize that white Christians are unaware of this stress-inducing aspect of their lives.

Next Christians need to stand with the person who is being treated unjustly due to his or her race. Speak out. Defend the innocent. Comfort the victim. Minorities are rightfully bewildered and repulsed at the silence of white Christians in the face of obvious injustice.

Christians must make friends with people from a variety of ethnic groups. Loosen up and enjoy being with people of different backgrounds. Have a sense of humor. Purposefully mispronounce Spanish words so that your Hispanic co-workers can tease you. Tease them back. Good-natured humor builds bridges and cuts tension.

If single, date Christians of other races. If married, adopt a child of a different race. Allow your children to date Christians of different races, and be prepared to have grandchildren of a different race.

Finally, churches need to seek both members and leaders from a variety of races. Use church buses and vans to pick up children, parents, and others from minority neighborhoods and bring them to church services. If a ministry position opens, intentionally look for candidates of different races to fill the position. Christian universities and Bible colleges should be able to help. Seek racially diverse Sunday school teachers, small group leaders, deacons, and elders. A racially diverse leadership can build a racially diverse membership more easily.

The early church mystified its world through the reconciliation of ethnic enemies (Ephesians 3:6). Our society would be just as amazed today if it were to see true racial reconciliation within God's church. Let's rise to the challenge.

Encouraging Transracial Adoption

Dr. Albert Mohler, president of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, is advocating transracial adoption on his blog (http://www.albertmohler.com/blog_read.php?id=1504). Here is a small sample of what he is saying:

"Given the vast number of at-risk orphans in the world--now numbering in the millions--this resurgence in adoption among American evangelicals should be a matter of public celebration. In the United States, 127,000 children are considered 'unadoptable,' and many of these are racial minorities. Shouldn't the adoption of these children be a priority for the church?"

Although I don't expect public celebration (as Dr. Mohler explains in his post, some social workers are pushing segregation of the races), I agree with Dr. Mohler that Christians should consider it a priority to care for children who need homes, no matter the racial background of the children or the parents. Dr. Mohler has been a consistent supporter of adoption, racial harmony, and biblical ethics.

(I need to credit Adam Faughn at http://www.faughnblog.blogspot.com/ for pointing me toward Albert Mohler's blog post. Thanks, Adam!)

Transracial Parenting Tips

Janet and I have been parents for a little over five and a half years. So far, we have learned a few lessons that could be beneficial to new transracial families:

1. When someone asks, "Are you going to tell him that he's adopted?", just respond, "How did you know? We've been trying to keep it a secret."

2. The ethnic hair products aisle at Wal-Mart exists for a good reason. No amount of conditioner will keep African American hair moist. Look for hair lotion in the ethnic hair products aisle.

3. White women cannot cut the hair of black boys. They do a fine job with mine, but not with his. Trust me. Find a black barber shop. You may look out of place, but he will look great.

4. If possible, join an interracial church. Your child needs to be able to relate to peers of his or her race.

5. Teach your child to respect authority early in life. Give him an opportunity to succeed.


Thanks for reading.

The Dream Lives On

Forty years ago today, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was murdered. I have no memories of that day, since I was born only 5 months before that tragic event.

However, I have a great appreciation for Dr. King and his legacy. In fact, in some ways, my family is a part of his legacy. Would it have been possible for a white man and woman to have adopted a black son before the civil rights movement? I'm not sure, but I doubt it. Certainly, it would not have been as socially acceptable to be a family like ours.

Nearly 3 years ago, Janet, Christopher, and I visited the National Civil Rights Museum in Memphis, Tennessee while on vacation. The Lorraine Motel, the location of Dr. King's assassination, was converted into the National Civil Rights Museum several years ago. It was quite an educational experience, and I would like to urge others to visit the museum at some point in their lives. In a few years, when Christopher is old enough to appreciate it more fully, we plan to return.

I'm thankful that God used Martin Luther King Jr. to change race relations in America. I'm thankful for my transracial family and for the racial diversity of the Contact Church of Christ. I acknowledge that racial tension continues, but I am grateful for the progress that has been made.

Would You Like to Have a Black Son-in-Law?

"Then Peter began to speak: 'I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism but accepts men from every nation who fear him and do what is right'" (Acts 10:34-35, NIV).

Janet and I have a goal of raising our son to be a godly man. We would like to see him develop the faith and character qualities of a biblical elder (a.k.a. overseer, pastor, etc.).

In 15 to 20 years, it's likely that he will be married. Who will he marry? We don't know, but we pray for him to marry a young Christian woman who sincerely loves God.

Preparing for that time, I would like to challenge Christian parents of every race to be open to their children marrying someone from another race. Let's not limit the choices of our children based on something as superficial as race or ethnicity.

If your daughter is white, Hispanic, American Indian, Asian, or another race, would you welcome a young black man like our son into your family as a son-in-law? Would you like to have black grandchildren? If your daughter is black, would you welcome him as a son-in-law despite him having white parents? These are questions I would like to challenge every parent to ask himself or herself.

(Baptist minister John Piper, a white man with an adopted black daughter, has a good sermon about interracial marriage at http://www.desiringgod.org/ResourceLibrary/TopicIndex/48_Racial_Harmony/198_Racial_Harmony_and_Interracial_Marriage/).

A Convergence of the Civil Rights and Pro-Life Movements

Today, I am sharing a few links about the civil rights movement, the pro-life movement, and ways that my readers may help save a few babies' lives.

John Ensor makes the case that African Americans and Hispanics need to take leading roles in the pro-life movement in order for the movement to reach a tipping point in making social and legal progress at http://www.desiringgod.org/ResourceLibrary/TasteAndSee/ByDate/2008/2578_Pray_for_the_Third_Wave/.

Alveda King, a niece of the late Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., is a leading pro-life advocate in the black community. You may read about her activities and message on numerous web sites (including http://www.texlife.org/docs/niece.shtml) by doing a search of the Internet.

If you would like to help a pro-life ministry, please check out the Contact Life ministry of the Contact Church of Christ (our home congregation) at http://www.contactchurch.net/contact_life or Christian Services of Oklahoma (our adoption agency) at http://www.christian-adoption.org.

A Few Good Articles to Share

I have a few good articles to share about Martin Luther King Jr. and the pro-life perspective.

Our Daily Bread has a good devotional piece about a turning point in Dr. King's life at http://www.rbc.org/odb/odb-01-21-08.shtml.

The Christian Chronicle has an interesting interview with Fred Gray, the attorney for Martin Luther King Jr. and Rosa Parks, at http://www.christianchronicle.org/article901~A_Conversation_with_Fred_Gray.

The Lookout magazine has three powerful pro-life articles at
http://www.lookoutmag.com/articles/articledisplay.asp?id=434
http://www.lookoutmag.com/articles/articledisplay.asp?id=435
http://www.lookoutmag.com/articles/articledisplay.asp?id=436

I hope you had a great Martin Luther King Jr. Day!

Martin Luther King Jr., Roe v. Wade, and My Son's Birthday

This week, we honor Martin Luther King Jr. Day, mourn the 35th anniversary of the Supreme Court's Roe v. Wade decision legalizing abortion, and celebrate my son Christopher's 5th birthday.

In honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day, please read Dr. King's Letter from a Birmingham Jail at http://members.aol.com/klove01/jailltr.htm.

In recognition of Roe v. Wade's anniversary, please read "Finding Forgiveness After an Abortion" at http://www.familylife.com/articles/article_detail.asp?id=1205.

In celebration of Christopher's birthday, please read my letter to him on his birthday last year at http://adisciplesthoughts.blogspot.com/2007/01/happy-birthday-christopher.html.

Mike Huckabee

"Remind the people to be subject to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready to do whatever is good, to slander no one, to be peaceable and considerate, and to show true humility toward all men" (Titus 3:1-2, NIV).

I have decided to vote for Mike Huckabee in Oklahoma's presidential primary. A former Baptist preacher and Arkansas governor, Mr. Huckabee impresses me as a man of good character, wisdom, and experience who would surround himself with excellent advisers to form a very good administration.

I have included two quotes that demonstrate the character of Mike Huckabee. The first is from an article in Newsweek magazine describing how he has dealt with racism. The second is from his web site describing his pro-life views. After reading both, I think you will understand why I intend to vote for Mike Huckabee for president of the United States.

"Huckabee took the pulpit of a small but growing church in Pine Bluff, Ark., and started a Christian radio and TV station, which aired his Sunday sermons. One day a listener contacted him. He was a black teenager and was interested in attending services at Huckabee's church, but worried he wouldn't be welcome; Immanuel Baptist Church had been all white since its inception in the 1890s. 'Of course you can come, I told him,' Huckabee recalls.

"The minister prepared his flock. 'I hope that nobody has anything except warm feelings,' he recalls telling them. 'In fact, if he is not welcome, I don't want to be here either.' The speech didn't go over well among some church elders, who threatened to fire him. Several members quit in protest. But most of his parishioners stood with him, and in the years that followed, the church slowly integrated. 'I grew up with a lot of people who really resisted integration,' Huckabee tells NEWSWEEK. 'The more I listened to them, the more I became convinced that racism was an incredible evil.' Rex Nelson, who worked for Huckabee when he was governor, says his racial awareness 'comes from being raised poor...He knew what is was like to look up at other people who were looking down on him.' (Huckabee later carried these lessons to the statehouse, where he pushed to end racial disparity in drug sentencing and urged compassion for the children of illegal immigrants---a position that put him at odds with some in his party.)" See http://www.newsweek.com/id/67931/output/print for the full article.

"No candidate has a stronger record on the sanctity of life than I do. I have always been actively and aggressively pro-life. I first became politically active when I helped pass Arkansas' Unborn Child Amendment, which requires the state to do whatever it can to protect life...To me, life doesn't begin at conception and end at birth. Every child deserves a quality education, first-rate health care, decent housing in a safe neighborhood, and clean air and drinking water. Every child deserves the opportunity to discover and use his God-given gifts and talents." See http://www.mikehuckabee.com/?FuseAction=Issues.View&Issue_id=11 for more details about his pro-life convictions.

Racial Harmony in the Churches of Christ

In the current Christian Chronicle, Bobby Ross Jr. asks, "Isn't it time we showed the world that God's people are not one color, or even two, but all colors?" It's a good question and a very good opinion piece for the Chronicle. "Breaking Down Color Barriers in the Church" may be viewed at http://www.christianchronicle.org/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=761.

John Piper and Racial Harmony

Three years ago, I read one of the best books that I have ever read, Don't Waste Your Life by John Piper. In it, Mr. Piper challenged his readers to embrace a life-changing, eternal perspective. He challenged us to live to glorify God and to enjoy living for his glory.

John Piper is a pastor of a Baptist Church in Minneapolis. Although I am neither a pastor nor a Baptist, I share his great love for God and respect for the Bible. In addition, we have at least one more thing in common: both of us are white fathers of black children whom we have adopted. (He has a black daughter who was recently baptized, and I have a black son.) When I read his writings or listen to his sermons, they connect with me.

Earlier today, I discovered that we can listen to a 7-part series about racial harmony at his ministry's blog (http://www.desiringgod.org/Blog/) . I have not listened yet, but I know from experience that it will be worth hearing, and that it will glorify God.