On marriage and race

“After this I looked and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands (Revelation 7:9).”

Its a beautiful picture. People of every background, skin color, dress, and culture worshiping God in amazing ways. Yet, shouldn't this be our vision for the church on earth?
If God will have a beautiful picture of people around him, shouldn't our churches and families reflect this?

In that light, if I brought home a girl who was a different ethnicity or from a different culture than me, I believe my parents would be over-joyed. In fact, I think they would have a special excitement if she were from a different ethnicity. This is because of the fact that God has given them a special love for the vast peoples of the earth, and they embrace those people.

That is not to say, however, that they may warn me of some of the challenges of marrying and living with someone of another culture. Because cultures have such different ways of communicating and doing every-day life, this can bring unique challenges. But I believe these challenges could actually be beneficial as they can expose more of our own preconceived notions of the norm. A challenge is a beautiful thing, something God may put in our lives so that we may grow as people.

Another challenge that could come from marrying someone of another ethnicity is the fact your children will be of mixed heritage. This could bring about confusion of cultures, as well as be a source of harassment from people who are bigots.

However, I believe correct parenting and love can overcome these problems. If you teach your children to embrace both heritages, they will have a strong identity.

With people harassing them, I don't think this is a legitimate excuse not to marry someone of another ethnicity. Just because the world tells us to give in to evil, we should not do it. Just because the world tells us not to love, we need to love even more. This is no exception with our children.

God calls us to spread His love to all ethnicities and cultures. There should be no difference in our marriages, which are supposed to be the epitome of real love.