A brief video clip from T4G conference 2008.
A (looooong) side note:
If I said that I found this video clip so refreshing and encouraging because it was good to see a biblically faithful African-American preacher, would I be guilty of racism? My intention is never to discriminate and to make a racist comment, but I fear that it might be seen as that. I'm simply saying that I have not seen a biblically faithful African-American preacher until now, while I have seen and heard from biblically faithful white Americans, Asians, Korean-Americans, Australians, even a Jew (who was a Christian)!
Coming from Asia and having lived in in Australia for about 10 years, I had many moments when I heard people making defensive remarks about what they just had said because what they said could've seen as racist comments. But as I noticed most of the time, their intention was never racist, nor I took any offense from them or from their "racist" comments. I did not take any offense because they were not discriminating me because of my race, and I knew that their hearts were not set against me for the reason that I was of a different race than they were. It was rather, often just a simple observation from people who didn't come from the same cultural background, and sometimes poking a little fun at the different culture because they found some things in it rather amusing, not because they thought their own culture was superior and intended to influence the other "uncivilised" culture. I think people generally need to relax a little and give some benefit of doubt.
I also noticed that, a lot of conflicts, labeled under the category of "racism" in the western society, are overrated, or has not much to do with racism. While some of them are coming from its legitimate roots dating back to (and of course, even before) the Era of Colonialism, sadly original meaning and the scope of the word "racism" has been skewed and twisted over in more recent times, especially in the western world, and that many conflicts and issues are improperly handled because they are not seen as what they really are, but as a form or kind of racism.
People are pressured to use the "politically correct" words, and people, even Christians use the word, "Racism" to defend their rude words and actions and to shut up the other party. (I'm finding it hard to present a concrete example from my own experience at the moment, so I'll point to my beloved character Jonah from the Summer Heights High. In the show, Jonah complained that the English teacher was racist because she said, 'O, you islander boys, you're always late to class', among other things. Now, she is at fault for making a general comment like that, but Jonah should clean up his own acts first, don't you think? Believe me, this kind of immaturity exists in real world, and among adults too! And, oh, c'mon, I'm not siding with the racism towards Islanders, ok? Who would?)
Of course, I am not condoning the racism proper, it is evil and has no place among Christians and should be eliminated in every society and culture. But, let's not hide behind this "bully" called racism using your cultural background as an excuse when you did something rude and bad yourself.
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